This should be a week of great baseball. We'll see three big rivalry matchups, one that could become a fun rivalry and another that comes with a dose of international flair.
Here's a look at five series to watch for the week of April 20.
Dodgers at Giants
3 games (Tuesday-Thursday)
Head to head: This is the first meeting of 2026 for the longtime rivals. Last season, the Dodgers easily took the season series, 9-4, just as they did in 2024. All time, however, the matchup literally could not be more even. The Dodgers and Giants each have 1,288 wins and 1,288 losses against each other, with 17 ties. So, one of them will have at least temporary bragging rights after this series.
Storyline: The back-to-back defending World Series champion Dodgers (15-6) have started hot, helped by an MLB-best .857 OPS. Meanwhile, the Giants (9-13), who haven't reached the postseason since 2021, have started cold, with an OPS (.658) in the bottom third of the league. If San Francisco hopes to return to its contending ways, it will need to not only hold its own against these Dodgers, but also slug a lot more.
Watch out for: Shohei Ohtani (duh). His consecutive on-base streak has reached 51 and his pitching prowess is as epic as ever (0.50 ERA). But even if the Giants somehow keep Ohtani a non-factor in the series, they'll still have to deal with Andy Pages, who has started the season red hot and whose 1.061 OPS through Sunday is the highest among the team's regulars.
Yankees at Red Sox
3 games (Tuesday-Thursday)
Head to head: The Yankees-Red Sox rivalry is far more lopsided than Dodgers-Giants (1,249-1,037 Yankees, with 14 ties), but it seems to have produced far more drama through the years. New York and Boston have yet to meet this season, so this series will serve as the opening salve for the next chapter in the saga. Last season, it was actually the Red Sox who won the season series, 9-4.
Storyline: Both teams have already had extended struggles this season, with each having endured a five-game losing streak. But the Yankees righted their ship, while the Red Sox have yet to find the good kind of consistency. Obviously, both teams have postseason aspirations, so each needs to handle business against the other.
Watch out for: Aaron Judge's bat is always a threat, but an equally big threat of late has been lefty slugger Ben Rice, who has clubbed eight homers and leads the Yankees with a 1.276 OPS. But put that aside for a moment and be sure to watch out for some kind of X factor -- because whenever these two teams meet, there's always the potential for random drama.
Phillies at Braves
3 games (Friday-Sunday)
Head to head: These two don't have as storied a rivalry as the other two on this list, but it's definitely been a thing for much of the past decade. The Phillies have won two straight NL East titles, the first of which in 2024 interrupted the Braves' streak of six straight division crowns. There's also been some postseason history between the two that Atlanta would rather forget. The Braves swept the Phillies in a three-game set over the weekend in Philadelphia, but the Phillies lead the series 14-12 since the start of 2024.
Storyline: It's really two-fold. 1) Can the Braves stay hot and take control; and 2) Can the Phillies warm up and make some noise? The teams seem headed in opposite directions in the early going, but both have their eyes on first place -- a spot currently occupied by Atlanta, with a surprising amount of room to spare.
Watch out for: Atlanta's Ronald Acuña Jr. and Austin Riley. Neither has hit his stride yet this season, though both have shown signs. Acuña has scalded the ball recently with little to show for it. Riley has also begun to scald the ball, but with tangible results -- he had two homers vs. Philly on Friday. Also watch out for Atlanta's Drake Baldwin, the defending NL Rookie of the Year, who entered Sunday tied for the MLB lead with 28 hits.
Pirates at Brewers
3 games (Friday-Sunday)
Head to head: This will be the first meeting between the teams in 2026. Last season, however, it was severely one-sided: The Brewers won 10 of their 13 matchups. Milwaukee holds a commanding lead in the all-time series, 258-196. But it feels like we could be entering a new era, especially for the Pirates.
Storyline: Are the Pirates for real? They seem to have been rejuvenated after an active offseason that included the acquisitions of Brandon Lowe and Ryan O'Hearn, both of whom have given the offense a boost in the early going, while Oneil Cruz continues to emerge as an all-around threat. The Brewers (12-9) have won three straight NL Central titles, but Pittsburgh (13-9) has played like it's ready to claim the title as its own. This series will be a good test.
Watch out for: Cruz. He's looked like the best version of himself so far this season. He's hitting for average and power, and he leads the NL in stolen bases (nine). Not to mention that his .915 OPS is well above his career mark of .744.
Padres at D-backs (Mexico City Series)
2 games (Saturday-Sunday)
Head to head: It's the first meeting between San Diego and Arizona this season. The Padres won last season's series, 8-5. They also lead the series 21-18 since the start of the 2023 season. However, the D-backs lead the all-time series, 247-233.
Storyline: It's the Mexico City Series from Alfredo Harp Helú Stadium! The two-game set is the third overall played there as part of the MLB World Tour and the first since 2024. Interestingly, these two teams were set to meet in the first Mexico City Series in 2020, but it was canceled amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Watch out for: Lots of runs. Fun note: Mexico City's elevation is 7,350 feet, more than 2,000 feet higher than Denver's 5,280. So, watch out for dingers. The previous four games there have generated an average of nearly 17 runs per game, including a 16-11 affair between the Giants and Padres in 2023 that produced 11 homers.