Matt Johnson
What are the best MLB games to watch today? All 30 teams are playing on Monday’s MLB schedule, giving us plenty of excellent matchups to choose from. Of course, not every game is equal, so we’re highlighting which matchups we’re most excited to watch among the MLB games tonight.
Let’s dive into our list of the five best MLB games today to watch. We’ve included the pitching matchup and first pitch time for each contest.
1. New York Yankees vs Seattle Mariners
The best baseball game today in our view is the evening matchup between the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners, there isn’t a close second. It will be a Yankees’ debut for southpaw Ryan Weathers, who flashed electric stuff in spring training (21 strikeouts), but he is prone to some blowups. That sets us up for either a pitching clinic or a scenario where he gets absolutely lit up by a Mariners lineup that has already hit 8 home runs this season and is responsible for the fourth-most runs scored (22). Meanwhile, former All-Star pitcher Luis Castillo is on the mound for Seattle, and he has some historic ownage against Cody Bellinger (.227 BA), Ryan McMahon (.091 BA), and Trent Grisham (0-for-11), but Aaron Judge (1.300 OPS) has fared well.
- Pitching Matchup: Ryan Weathers vs Luis Castillo
- First Pitch: 9:40 PM ET
Related: New York Yankees Pursued Trade for Star SP
2. Boston Red Sox vs Houston Astros
We’ll see something a bit interesting on Monday’s MLB schedule, with the Boston Red Sox piggy-backing two starting pitchers they acquired this offseason. Ranger Suarez, who signed a five-year deal worth $130 million this winter, draws his first start for Boston. However, the team will limit him to just a few innings following his adjusted workload in the World Baseball Classic. He’ll be followed by Johan Oviedo, whom the Red Sox acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates.
On the other side, Lance McCullers Jr. is on the mound for the Houston Astros. He’s nowhere close to being the starter he used to be (6.51 ERA in 2026), so there’s a great opportunity here for the Red Sox lineup to pile on the runs after they put up just 10 total in their three-game series in Cincinnati.
- Pitching Matchup: Ranger Suarez vs Lance McCullers Jr
- First Pitch: 8:10 PM ET
3. Texas Rangers vs Baltimore Orioles
Among the many potential picks to breakout during the 2026 MLB season is Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jack Leiter. In his final 16 starts last season, he compiled a 3.34 ERA with a 97-35 K-BB ratio across 86.1 innings pitched. Leiter’s stuff will be put to the test against a Baltimore Orioles lineup that scored 8 runs with 12 hits on Sunday. There’s plenty of depth in Baltimore’s batting order, so Leiter will need to prove he can stay consistent. As for Texas, its lineup put up 16 runs with 5 homers in its opening three-game series, but its hitters also struck out in nearly 32 percent of their at-bats versus Philadelphia.
- Pitching Matchup: Jack Leiter vs Chris Bassitt
- First Pitch: 6:35 PM ET
4. Cleveland Guardians vs Los Angeles Dodgers
Ordinarily, we’d rank any matchup involving the Los Angeles Dodgers higher among the best MLB games today. An exception is made on Monday night since Roki Sasaki, who allowed 15 earned runs and 15 walks in 8.2 innings this spring, is on the mound. There’s a chance Sasaki gives up another long ball to Guardians rookie Chase DeLauter (4 home runs in 17 at-bats), but it’s just as likely poor command results in slow innings. With that said, there is some intrigue in seeing how Parker Messick fares versus the Dodgers lineup.
- Pitching Matchup: Parker Messick vs Roki Sasaki
- First Pitch: 10:10 PM ET
5. Sacramento Athletics vs Atlanta Braves
It’s certainly not the pitching matchup between Jacob Lopez and Bryce Elder that excites us tonight. It’s the fact that there could be an explosion of run production in this Athletics vs Atlanta Braves matchup. The Braves lineup just posted a .276 batting average with a .789 OPS in its opening series, and the Athletics lineup is one of the most exciting in baseball when the power hitters are hot. At the very least, we expect three home runs tonight.
- Pitching Matchup: Jacob Lopez vs Bryce Elder
- First Pitch: 7:15 PM ET
