The end of April is a good first checkpoint in a long MLB season. A lot can change from May to October, but a strong start is certainly coveted to put a team in position to make a postseason run.

This week, as the calendar flips to May, there are some enticing matchups on tap. They include a pair of series between teams packed tightly atop their divisions, as well as a showdown between two of the most prolific offensive machines in the game.

Here's a breakdown of five series to watch this week:

Reds at Padres
3 games (Monday through Wednesday)

Head-to-head: The two clubs split the season series in 2023, winning three games apiece.

Storyline: The Padres' big three haven't gotten into a groove. Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Xander Bogaerts have shown glimpses of their usual selves, but overall, they've collectively left much to be desired at the plate so far this season. Machado is hitting .252/.310/.393 with four homers. Tatis has been the best of the trio, but his OPS remains well below .800. And Bogaerts has a .565 OPS through his first 30 games.

Watch out for: Elly De La Cruz. He's a player of interest no matter what the situation given his five-tool ability and his youth, but he's been hot at the plate as of late. During Cincinnati's seven-game homestand from April 19-25, the 22-year-old shortstop hit .400/.571/.750 with a pair of home runs. He's got seven homers on the season, along with an MLB-best 18 steals already. He's also drawing walks at a rate nearly double that of last season. De La Cruz is an electric player who might just be putting it all together in his sophomore season.

Cubs at Mets
4 games (Monday through Thursday)

Head-to-head: Each team won three games in the season series last year.

Storyline: Injuries. Both clubs have been hit hard in that department -- the Cubs are without Cody Bellinger, Seiya Suzuki, Justin Steele and several other key contributors, while the Mets are missing Kodai Senga and Francisco Alvarez, among others. So far, each team has been able to weather the storm, with the Cubs just 1/2 game behind the National League Central-leading Brewers and the Mets above .500 despite beginning the season 0-5.

Watch out for: Shota Imanaga. The Japanese left-hander has had about as good of a start to an MLB career as you could ask for, going 4-0 with a 0.98 ERA over his first five starts for the Cubs. That makes him the first starting pitcher since 1945 to begin a career with a 4-0 record and an ERA below 1.00 through his first five outings. Imanaga is scheduled to take the Citi Field mound for Chicago on Wednesday.

Yankees at Orioles
4 games (Monday through Thursday)

Head-to-head: Baltimore took the season series, seven games to six, in 2023.

Storyline: The battle for supremacy in the American League East begins in earnest on Monday, when the Yankees and Orioles, separated by just one game atop the division, face off for the first time in 2024. These two powerhouse clubs could very well be neck-and-neck in the division race all season long, with the Yanks vowing to shake off their worst season in more than three decades last year, and the O's vowing to make a World Series run after winning 101 games and the division title in '23.

Watch out for: Aaron Judge. Following a slow start at the plate -- he entered play Sunday batting .190 with a .719 OPS -- the game's premier home run hitter may be emerging from his early-season hibernation. Over his last six games, Judge is batting .348 with three homers. If the former AL MVP returns to form in a lineup that has been fueled by Juan Soto so far this season, the Bronx Bombers could become a true juggernaut. It doesn't seem like a coincidence, after all, that as Judge began to heat up at the plate, so did the Yankees -- New York scored 30 runs over their last two games.

Brewers at Cubs
3 games (Friday through Sunday)

Head-to-head: Milwaukee won seven of 13 head-to-head matchups against Chicago last season.

Storyline: For the first time, Craig Counsell will manage against the Brewers, for whom he was at the helm from 2015-23. His new club, the Cubs, are just 1/2 game behind Milwaukee in the NL Central, but both teams are licking their wounds following a tough weekend. The Brewers were outscored, 30-8, over the final two games of their home series against the Yankees, while the Cubs were routed, 17-0, by the Red Sox on Saturday before dropping Sunday night's series finale in walk-off fashion at Fenway Park. Both hope to be entering their first head-to-head matchup of the season on a higher note -- the Brewers host the Rays and the Cubs visit the Mets before heading to American Family Field.

Watch out for: William Contreras. He has surged out of the gate in 2024, entering the week with a .352/.432/.556 slash line along with five home runs and 22 RBIs. We knew Contreras was a good hitter, but the 26-year-old catcher has taken it to a new level in the early going this year. Whether he can sustain this level of production remains to be seen, but he's one to keep an eye on right now.

Braves at Dodgers
3 games (Friday through Sunday)

Head-to-head: Atlanta took four of seven games in the season series last year.

Storyline: This will be the renewal of a heavyweight bout. The two behemoths of the NL meet for the first time in 2024, and after the Braves set offensive records last year, all the Dodgers did was go out and sign Shohei Ohtani to add a third former MVP to an already potent lineup. These clubs are also hungry following early exits from the postseason last fall -- Atlanta was bounced in the NL Division Series by the Phillies, and the Dodgers were swept in the NLDS by the D-backs. It's going to be an electric atmosphere in a possible playoff preview.

Watch out for: Freddie Freeman. One of the elite pure hitters in the game, Freeman struggled to open the season, finding himself with a .259/.378/.346 slash line on April 19. But in eight games since, he's hit .444 with four doubles and a homer. Is he coming around? If he returns to form, the Dodgers, who have won six of their last seven games, could really take off.