We’ve reached the final week of the MLB regular season and everything is on the line. Playoff spots and seeding are still up for grabs. Here are five games to watch this week.
Milwaukee Brewers at San Diego Padres — Monday
The Milwaukee Brewers have already clinched the NL Central but seeding matters and they want to stay sharp heading into October.
The Padres can’t afford to slip if they want to stay in the postseason picture so this is a test for both teams.
Los Angeles Dodgers at Arizona Diamondbacks — Tuesday
The L.A. Dodgers are on the verge of locking up the NL West and they’ll send Shohei Ohtani to the mound to start this series. Arizona on the other hand is still fighting for a wild-card spot. That Ohtani star power and the D-backs’ desperation make this an MLB must-watch.
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Boston Red Sox — Tuesday
The Toronto Blue Jays have secured a spot in the playoffs, but they have work to do on the positioning side. When you add a late-September match-up with division opponent Boston Red Sox, this is a game that has meaning beyond the standings.
New York Mets at Chicago Cubs — Tuesday
The Mets head to Wrigley still fighting for securing one of the final NL Wild Card spots, while the Cubs (who have secured a spot in the playoffs) are finishing the regular season but they still have to fight for home field and seeding.
David Peterson is expected to start for New York against Cade Horton for Chicago, which makes this a meaningful matchup for the Mets and an important game for the Cubs in potentially changing the way they line up for the playoffs.
Chicago White Sox at New York Yankees — Tuesday
The Yankees are on the verge of clinching a playoff berth, and they will provide fans with a preview of their postseason rotation when Luis Gil takes the mound on Tuesday and Max Fried starts the next game.
Fried has been solid, but Gil and others are still in contention for their jobs, meaning this series will be important for solidifying how the Yankees will head into October.
