This marks the final week before the 2026 Trade Deadline, which is on Monday, August 3.
That means we’re not only inching closer to the end of the regular season but will also see a flurry of activity as contenders aim to boost their rosters for postseason baseball. As an additional bonus, this week also presents a handful of enticing matchups between playoff hopefuls and big-market showdowns.
Here are five series to watch for the week of July 27.
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Orioles at Tigers
3 games (Monday-Wednesday)
Head-to-head: The Orioles took two of three games from the Tigers in Baltimore on May 22-24. Baltimore won the series opener, while the two clubs split a doubleheader on that Sunday.
Storyline: Without sounding too hyperbolic, this series could represent a real turning point for both clubs. Having both entered the season as hopeful contenders, the Orioles and Tigers find themselves on the periphery of the Wild Card race, but neither team has made the type of run (a la the Red Sox) to vault to legit playoff teams. With many potential trade candidates on both clubs (Tarik Skubal, Trevor Rogers, Adley Rutschman), this is a fascinating series to watch.
Watch out for: Conveniently enough, Skubal and Rogers are lined up to face each other in the series finale on Wednesday. No single player will have a larger difference on the Deadline, whether Skubal is traded or not. The reigning two-time AL Cy Young Award winner could stick with the Tigers and give Detroit a real shot in the postseason, or line up as another playoff team’s ace. Rogers isn’t on Skubal’s level, but he’s nonetheless somebody who can start a playoff game for a team.
D-backs at Pirates
3 games (Monday-Wednesday)
Head-to-head: The Pirates took two of three games in Arizona on May 5-7. The D-backs handily won the first game 9-0, then lost a close pair of games.
Storyline: Both clubs are vying for one of the NL Wild Card spots. The D-backs have been one of the hottest teams in baseball and occupy the final Wild Card position. The Pirates are only a game behind Arizona and are looking to break the NL’s longest playoff drought — Pittsburgh hasn’t made the playoffs since 2015.
Watch out for: Gabriel Moreno has been one of the best players in baseball over the last month and has been a key cog in the D-backs’ recent success. The 26-year-old backstop is having a career year across the board, posting an .854 OPS and 3.1 WAR, per FanGraphs, which is second among all primary catchers. With several other D-backs players performing below their 2025 levels, Moreno’s progression has been a key development.
Rangers at Rays
3 games (Tuesday-Thursday)
Head-to-head: This is the first matchup of the season for these two clubs. In 2025, the Rangers and Rays split the season series 3-3, and each scored 23 runs in their six games.
Storyline: Coming into the season, there weren’t many people projecting either of these teams to win their respective divisions. Nearly through the end of July, though, both teams occupy first place. Of course, the circumstances are slightly different for these teams, as the Rays lead the American League with 62 wins, while the Rangers are in first place despite being just a game over .500. Still, it’s an unexpected turn in the season that this matchup carries so much significance.
Watch out for: Junior Caminero has quickly turned into one of baseball’s best hitters and he’s shown serious progression in his second full season. After clobbering 45 home runs in 2025, Caminero has 29 so far this season but he’s also nearly doubled his walk rate from 6.3 percent last year to 12.4 percent this season. That newfound discipline has given Caminero a .914 OPS, the eighth best mark among qualified hitters.
Yankees at Cubs
3 games (Friday-Sunday)
Head-to-head: This marks the first matchup of the season between the Yankees and Cubs. Last year, the Cubs took the final series of the first half against the Yankees in New York. After the Yankees won 11-0 in the series opener, the Cubs took the final two games.
Storyline: The Yankees and Cubs enter the series in eerily similar positions, as they’re both 59-46 and hold the top Wild Card spots in each league. Add the fact that it’s being played at the historic Wrigley Field and it’s about as entertaining of a matchup you can find at this point of the season. There’s no shortage of storylines, narratives and stars in what should be a great matchup.
Watch out for: Pete Crow-Armstrong is putting together a legitimate MVP case in a National League featuring Shohei Ohtani’s usual excellence. The 24-year-old Cubs center fielder has been excellent all over the diamond, posting a .933 OPS and 23 home runs at the dish, 26 stolen bases and all-world defense. PCA entered Sunday’s games with 7.0 WAR and could give Shohei Ohtani a run for his money for some hardware.
Red Sox at Dodgers
3 games (Friday-Sunday)
Head-to-head: This will be their first matchup of the season and first since the Red Sox won two of three games against the Dodgers in Boston last July.
Storyline: The Dodgers, the team with the best record in the Majors and reigning two-time World Series champions, face the Red Sox, the hottest team in baseball. Los Angeles sits atop of the Majors with 67 wins and will attempt the first three-peat since the dynasty Yankees of the late-90s/early-2000s. The Red Sox, meanwhile, tied a club record with 15 straight wins and vaulted themselves into the playoff picture — they currently hold the second AL Wild Card spot.
Watch out for: Andy Pages has become a fixture at the top of the Dodgers lineup and one of the best all-around players in baseball. Pages was plenty good last year, but the 25-year-old outfielder has leveled up in 2026, nearly doubling his walk rate and putting himself on pace to approach a 30-homer season. With great center-field defense, Pages has turned into a borderline star.
