5 series to watch this week include top NL Cy candidates on display

June’s opening week brought history on the pitcher's mound and one of the game’s great sluggers to the injured list. As teams sort out who’s in contention for the postseason and who will be sellers at the Trade Deadline, stars build their resumes for the 2026 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard.

This week features Shohei Ohtani and Paul Skenes each pitching during a series between the Dodgers and Pirates, the surprising Braves and White Sox squaring off, and Cristopher Sánchez and Jacob Misiorowski taking the mound when the Phillies visit the Brewers.

Here are five intriguing series to watch for the second week of June.

Mariners at Orioles
4 games (Monday-Thursday)

Head-to-head: These two teams last met in August of last season, with the Mariners on their way to an AL West title, and the Orioles finding their path to the basement of the AL East. Baltimore won the series by winning the last two amid multiple pitchers' duels.

Storyline: After slow starts, these American League foes are heating up with the summer approaching. The Mariners ran off eight straight victories before a loss on Wednesday to the Mets, while the Orioles have won or split four of their last five series. Seattle’s streak consisted of an absurd plus-30 run differential (48-18).

Watch out: Pete Alonso is surging at the right time for Baltimore. The Orioles’ big offseason acquisition tallied at least one hit in nine of 10 games from May 25-June 4. So far in June, Alonso has posted a .650 slugging mark with seven hits in 20 at-bats.

Dodgers at Pirates
3 games (Tuesday-Thursday)

Head-to-head: The young Buccos surprised the eventual World Series champions to begin September of last season with a three-game sweep. Skenes allowed just two hits in six innings to cap off the series, while Ohtani went 5-for-13 across the set.

Storyline: As the Dodgers continue their winning ways, Pittsburgh remains in Wild Card. Both offenses are among the best in baseball. The Pirates rank fourth in the big leagues in runs with 333, not far behind the Dodgers in second with 345. Pittsburgh will send its ace Skenes to the mound for the series opener, while Ohtani is scheduled to throw on Wednesday.

Watch out: Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages is red-hot to start 2026 and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. The 25-year-old out of Havana, Cuba, is batting .283 with a .852 OPS. He’s on pace for a career-high 32 home runs.

Braves at White Sox
3 games (Tuesday-Thursday)

Head-to-head: This Interleague matchup takes place in much different circumstances than a season ago. The Braves took two of three from the White Sox in Atlanta in mid-August, taking the rubber match with a 1-0 victory. Both teams went on to finish under .500 and well out of playoff contention.

Storyline: Chicago seems to have found a groove after losing 100 or more games in each of the last three seasons. While sitting comfortably in the second AL Wild Card spot, the White Sox face a ferocious June schedule with the Braves, Dodgers and then the Yankees. Atlanta is cruising through 2026, losing just two series in May.

Watch out: Chris Sale will face the team he became a star with. Sale has a 2.23 ERA in 12 starts this season, and in six starts against his former squad, he’s posted a 13.9 K/9. Sale is slated to start on Wednesday.

Yankees at Blue Jays
3 games (Friday-Sunday)

Head-to-head: Toronto traveled to New York in mid-May, where the two split a four-game set after the Yankees won the first two. Each game was within two runs, and the Blue Jays won the series finale with a shutout in a bullpen game, recording 14 strikeouts and allowing just three hits.

Storyline: The Yankees are forced to hold tight as a top team in the American League without their captain, Aaron Judge, for the foreseeable future. Judge is out with a stress fracture in his ribs, but the Yankees still possess an elite rotation to limit opposing lineups. The Blue Jays are yet to return to their AL pennant-winning standard, sitting two games under .500 entering the week.

Watch out: Luckily for New York, Ben Rice has produced MVP-level offense all year to supplement Judge. His 1.032 OPS ranks behind just Yordan Alvarez for the best in MLB.

Phillies at Brewers
3 games (Friday-Sunday)

Head-to-head: Amid an NL pennant race last September, these two eventual division winners faced off for three games in Milwaukee, where Philadelphia grabbed an early lead in the rubber match and won, 2-0. Both fell to the Dodgers in the playoffs.

Storyline: Two of the hottest teams in the National League face off for the first time this season. Philadelphia is 26-11 since Don Mattingly took over as manager, and the Brewers have lost just one series since the start of May. Misiorowski, Kyle Harrison and Sánchez are all slated to pitch in this series.

Watch out: Sánchez recently saw his scoreless streak end at 50 2/3 innings, but by the time this matchup rolls around, he might have another streak built up. Misiorowski and Sánchez rank one and two, respectively, in strikeouts this year.