The final week before the 2026 All-Star break is officially here
Teams across the league are still jockeying for playoff position, and earning momentum heading into the break could do a lot, not only for placement in the standings, but also for what each club may do when the Trade Deadline arrives in less than one month’s time
Here are five key series to watch for the week of July 6
4 games (Monday-Thursday)
Head-to-head: The Rays have taken four of five against the Yankees so far this year, including a three-game sweep in April. But all five games have been decided by one or two runs
Storyline: The Yankees were just 1 1/2 games back of the Rays’ lead in the AL East when superstar Aaron Judge went on the IL on June 5 with an injury that looks likely to keep him out until at least August. One month later, the Bronx Bombers find themselves four games back and losers of nine of their last 10 with a sputtering offense. The Rays, meanwhile, keep chugging along, winning eight of their last 10. This series could go a long way to determining who secures the 2026 divisional crown. The rivals won’t square off again until the second-to-last series of the season.
Watch out for: Junior Caminero has been on a heater, to say the least. The slugging third baseman, who celebrated his 23rd birthday Sunday, has 11 home runs in his past 12 games. He became the first player to reach that mark since Kyle Schwarber did it in 2021. Caminero has yet to homer against the Yankees this season. Perhaps that changes this week
Brewers at Cardinals
5 games (Monday-Thursday)
Head-to-head: After splitting two games at Busch Stadium in early May, the Brewers swept all three matchups at home from May 25-27. Milwaukee needed an eighth-inning rally to take the final game of the sweep. A Tuesday doubleheader makes this a five-game set
Storyline: The Cardinals took two of three from the Cubs at Wrigley Field this past weekend to creep closer to the top of the NL Central. The Brewers hold a steady lead in first, but they were dealt another blow this weekend with veteran starter Brandon Woodruff hitting the IL once again. The upstart Cardinals could prove their mettle with a good showing this week
Watch out for: The Brewers’ young starters. Jacob Misiorowski and Kyle Harrison are scheduled to toe the rubber for the Crew this week, but both phenoms are coming off a rare poor performance. Misiorowski and his fire-breathing fastball allowed five runs (one earned) in five innings, including two home runs, though he did still strike out 10. On the other hand, Harrison lasted just 2 2/3 innings on Friday, allowing three runs. Can they bounce back, or will the Redbirds capitalize?
Mariners at Marlins
3 games (Tuesday-Thursday)
Head-to-head: This will be the first and only Interleague meeting between this duo in 2026. The Mariners took two of three games at T-Mobile Park in 2025
Storyline: The Marlins set a historic mark in June, going 20-6. They also showed no signs of slowing down in July with huge offensive showings to sweep the Athletics over the weekend. The Mariners, with star Julio Rodríguez on the IL, hold a slim lead in the AL West. They’d like to see Cal Raleigh and Josh Naylor return to form, but All-Star Randy Arozarena has helped buoy the offense
Watch out for: Marlins catcher/first baseman Liam Hicks. The 25-year-old owns MLB’s longest active hit streak (16 games), which spans a stint on the IL for a back strain. Hicks — Miami’s leader in home runs (13) and RBIs (56) — has gone 11-for-28 since returning to the lineup
Athletics at White Sox
3 games (Friday-Sunday)
Head-to-head: These two meet for the second time this season after the White Sox won two of three on the road in mid-April. Chicago outscored the A’s 22-13 in the series
Storyline: The surprising Sox continue to battle tightly with the Guardians for control of the AL Central, maintaining a one-game lead after splitting a four-game set. They’ve done so with a standout young corps — and with breakout slugger Munetaka Murakami on the IL since May 29 (he could return this week). The A’s, on the other hand, have lost seven of their last eight but continue to hang around in a wide-open AL West race
Watch out for: Chicago third baseman Miguel Vargas. En route to his first All-Star selection, Vargas collected his 20th home run of the year against Cleveland on Friday. He joined Murakami and Colson Montgomery at that mark, becoming the second-fastest White Sox trio to 20 homers apiece in franchise history (87 games)
Astros at Rangers
3 games (Friday-Sunday)
Head-to-head: This will already be the third meeting between these division rivals. The Astros took each of the first two series, winning two of three in mid-May at home and three of four in late May on the road. Houston pitching has confounded the Rangers’ bats, holding them to one or zero runs four times
Storyline: In the aforementioned up-for-grabs AL West, the Astros and Rangers each remain behind the Mariners, but both have heated up of late to make this a fascinating race. The Astros owe much of that to improved health, with pitchers Hunter Brown and Josh Hader among those back in the fold. The Rangers have battled myriad injuries to stay in it and won six in a row to cap off June
Watch out for: Houston All-Star DH Yordan Alvarez. Put simply, Alvarez has been the best hitter in baseball this season. He showed off against Tampa Bay this past weekend, hitting a walk-off homer for his second long ball of Saturday’s game. “Air Yordan” is appointment television
