Five series to watch for the week of Sept. 15

With two weeks left in the regular season, there is no shortage of games that matter.

Multiple teams play two series worth of them this week. The fate of the American League West will either clarify or become further jumbled as the Astros play home series against the Rangers and Mariners. Weâ€ll also get answers about both Wild Card Series and clarity on playoff seeding.

The following five series arenâ€t the only ones with playoff implications. The Royals can climb back into the AL Wild Card race against the Mariners to start the week, and even the once all-but-over AL Central can become interesting if the Guardians sweep the Tigers.

Here are five series to watch this week and what they could mean to the postseason picture.

Rangers at Astros: 3 games (Monday-Wednesday)

Head-to-head: The Astros need a sweep to avoid losing the season series for the first time since 2016. Texas holds a 6-4 edge, but seven of the 10 games have been played in Arlington.

Storyline: Whoâ€s going to win the American League West? The Astros got right against the Braves this past weekend, but they were 3-6 in September entering that series after losing eight of 14 to end August. The Rangers†recent 7-1 stretch pulled them to within two games of the second-place Astros and three behind the Mariners.

Watch out for: Texas likely feels confident about the pitching matchups in this series. The Rangers send Jack Leiter to the mound on Monday – he owns a 2.94 ERA and 61 strikeouts over his last 10 starts, covering 52 innings. They follow with Merrill Kelly, who has continued a strong 2025 after a Deadline trade from Arizona, and Jacob deGrom, whose first full season since 2019 has seen him hang around the Cy Young conversation. Houston is scheduled to start Jason Alexander on Monday and Cristian Javier one of the other two games along with an undecided slot.

Phillies at Dodgers: 3 games (Monday-Wednesday)

Head-to-head: The Phillies took two of three at home in April, but both teams scored 12 runs.

Storyline: The Phillies have a handle on the National Leagueâ€s No. 2 playoff seed, 4 ½ games ahead of the Dodgers. The Dodgers could either make a dent in that deficit or the Phillies could solidify it. Philadelphia trails Milwaukee by two games for the NLâ€s top seed.

Padres at Mets: 3 games (Tuesday-Thursday)

Head-to-head: The Mets were swept in San Diego in the final week of July but have won five of the last six in Queens.

Storyline: What will come of the Mets†roller-coaster season? Once playoff certainties even after losing 14 of 17 in late June and early July, New York is now barely holding onto a postseason spot following an eight-game losing streak that ended Sunday.

Watch out for: A chance for the Mets†veteran pitchers to right the ship. New York has been boosted by the callups of rookie pitchers Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat, but any sustained success will likely need to include mainstays Sean Manaea, Clay Holmes and David Peterson. The three veterans have combined for a 5.30 ERA in 147 ⅔ second-half innings.

Giants at Dodgers: 4 games (Thursday-Sunday)

Head-to-head: The longtime rivals are meeting for the second straight weekend. The Dodgers lead the season series 6-3 and have won 37 of the last 54 regular-season games.

Storyline: A legendary rivalry can only be intensified when it carries stakes in the final two weeks of the season. Thatâ€s what we have here, as the Dodgers are chasing the Phillies for a first-round bye in the playoffs and the Giants are chasing a Wild Card spot. The Mets have given them plenty of help with an eight-game losing streak, but San Francisco has done its part by winning 14 of its last 20.

Watch out for: The top two in the Dodgers†batting order meshing to perfection. With leadoff hitter Shohei Ohtani getting on base at a .474 clip in September, No. 2 batter Mookie Betts leads baseball with 16 RBIs this month. They will likely oppose NL strikeout leader Logan Webb on Friday.

Mariners at Astros: 3 games (Friday-Sunday)

Head-to-head: The final regular-season games between these teams will decide the season series and perhaps so much more. Theyâ€re tied 5-5 through 10 games in 2025 and the Mariners lead the Astros by one game in the AL West as of Monday.

Storyline: We hate to sound repetitive, but whoâ€s going to win the AL West? Both teams have a chance to solidify their standings this week – the Mariners can all but put the Royals out of the Wild Card chase with a series beginning on Tuesday before trying to overtake Houston. The Astros, with series against Texas and Seattle, can create distance from their closest competitors.

Watch out for: Quite simply, the scoreboard. By the end of the week, either one team will have taken some level of control of the division or itâ€ll be even more jumbled than it is now. Like Texas early in the week, the Mariners should be starting three of their best pitchers – Bryan Woo, George Kirby and Logan Gilbert. Theyâ€ll contend with Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez, who returned from injury on Aug. 26 and recently concluded a 22-for-60 stretch in which he hit three home runs and drew 10 walks in 14 games.

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