With the season winding down and playoff races reaching critical junctures, here are five things to keep an eye on in the baseball world this weekend…
1. Texas/Seattle showdown
The American League West is the tightest division race in the game. The Astros hold a half-game lead over the Mariners and Rangers, who are tied for second place. The Mariners head to Arlington’s Globe Life Field today to kick off a pivotal three-game set against the Rangers. It’s a series that could determine the very fate of the American League West and one that could make or break the postseason chances for either team. The Blue Jays hold a half-game lead over both the M’s and the Rangers for the second Wild Card spot, which only heightens the importance of this series.
Game one will pit Mariners rookie Bryce Miller (8-5, 3.88 ERA) against Rangers righty Dane Dunning (10-6, 3.78). Saturday will feature a matchup of two of the division’s best starters, with Seattle righty Logan Gilbert (13-6, 3.77) facing off against Texas lefty Jordan Montgomery (9-11, 3.38). Sunday’s series finale sees the Mariners trot out rookie right-hander Bryan Woo (4-4, 3.90) against Rangers veteran Nathan Eovaldi (11-4, 3.05). A sweep would remove some of the drama in the division, but the two teams are also set to close out their season with four games against each other in Seattle, so this could all go down to the wire. Elsewhere in the division, the Astros are hosting the Royals, who have baseball’s second-worst record.
2. NL Wild Card race heats up
Similar to the AL West, the NL Wild Card chase looks like a three-horse between the Marlins, Cubs and Reds. Miami and Chicago are tied for the third and final spot, both sitting a half-game up on Cincinnati. The Fish will have their work cut out for them this weekend, as they’ll host the Brewers and face a pitching gauntlet of former NL Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes (9-8, 3.56), Brandon Woodruff (5-1, 1.89) and Freddy Peralta (12-9, 3.71). Miami hasn’t announced a starter for tonight’s game, but will send lefty Jesus Luzardo (10-9, 3.68) and righty Edward Cabrera (6-7, 4.35) to the bump on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
The Cubs, meanwhile, play host to a last-place Rockies club for three games this weekend. They’re starting veteran Jameson Taillon (7-10, 5.27), rookie Jordan Wicks (3-1, 2.67) and rookie Javier Assad (4-3, 3.04) against the respective Colorado trio of Noah Davis (0-2, 9.58), Chris Flexen (1-8, 7.19) and Ty Blach (3-2, 5.32).
As for the Reds, they’ll send the rookie trio of Andrew Abbott (8-5, 3.68), Connor Phillips (1-0, 5.74) and Brandon Williamson (4-5, 4.56) to the mound against Luis Ortiz and a pair of yet-to-be-announced Pirates starters.
3. Twins all but certain to clinch
The American League Central race isn’t technically over yet, but that’s all but certain to change this weekend. The Twins could’ve clinched on yesterday’s off-day if both the Guardians and Tigers had lost, but both clubs picked up victories to at least mathematically keep their playoff hopes alive. The Twins host a largely dismantled Angels club this weekend and will kick off the series with their top two starters, Pablo Lopez and Sonny Gray, before turning things over to Joe Ryan on Sunday. The Tigers continue their four-game set in Oakland and the Guards continue a four-game series in Baltimore. The Twins would clinch simply by picking up one victory or by seeing both the Guardians and Tigers lose a game this weekend. It’s a matter of when, not if, they formally capture the division crown.
4. Bieber returns — will McKenzie follow?
While that last note is surely a sour one for Cleveland fans, the silver lining is that they’ll at least get to see their top starter back on the mound this weekend. Right-hander Shane Bieber, the 2020 American League Cy Young winner, will make his first start since July 9 tonight against the Orioles. Bieber experienced forearm discomfort and elbow inflammation midway through July, and the issue proved severe enough to effectively wipe out Bieber’s entire second half. It’ll be a welcome sight for Cleveland fans and figures to give Bieber at least some peace of mind heading into the offseason, assuming all goes well.
Of course, it also bears considering that Bieber could be making one of his last starts for the only team he’s known. Cleveland has a history of trading its top starters before they reach free agency, and Bieber is controlled only through the 2024 season. The Guardians also have a burgeoning crop of young arms emerging, with Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams and Logan Allen all finding success in their rookie seasons. That trio and currently injured righty Triston McKenzie give the Guards a strong foundation in 2024 even if Bieber is moved. And speaking McKenzie, there’s a chance he could also return from the 60-day injured list for Sunday’s game. He’s been out since mid-June with a UCL sprain but has made a pair of minor league rehab starts in the past 10 days.
5. Caminero arrives
The Rays’ seemingly interminable pipeline of top prospects is set to produce another big leaguer, as top prospect Junior Caminero will be promoted for his debut today. He’s considered among the sport’s top all-around prospects, ranking fifth at The Athletic, ESPN and Baseball America, sixth at MLB.com and 11th at FanGraphs. The 20-year-old third baseman has decimated High-A and Double-A pitching this year, slashing a combined .324/.384/.591 with 31 homers.