There\u2019s something I would never usually consider bringing up on MLB Series Preview, or anywhere else, to be honest, especially in September with all the playoff races going on. It\u2019s something that was on my mind today as I went over the standings. What franchise is going to end up with the worst record in MLB?<\/p>\n
We\u2019ll get to the good stuff in a bit with the top five series of the weekend. But indulge me for a moment. There are four likely candidates for the worst record in baseball. Two clubs from each league are within 4 \u00bd games of each other for that honor.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Standings entering Friday:<\/p>\n
27th: Giants (58-83)<\/p>\n
28th: A\u2019s (55-86)<\/p>\n
29th: Rockies (54-86)<\/p>\n
30th: Angels (53-87)<\/p>\n
These teams are a combined 13-27 over their last 40 games. Going forward, none of them have it easy, but I think the Giants have the most difficult September schedule of the group. San Fran has six games remaining against the playoff-hopeful Cardinals, six more versus the NL West-leading Dodgers, a series this weekend against the Mets on the road, and two series later this month against the wild-card contending San Diego Padres<\/a> and Minnesota Twins<\/a>. The only club they face that isn\u2019t playing for something of relevance is the Mets.<\/p>\n This is a pointless exercise. I apologize. Seriously, who gets interested in the race for the league\u2019s worst record? No one in their right mind. However, since I\u2019ve dragged you along this far, I may as well make a bold prediction and say that the Giants, despite being 4 \u00bd\u00a0 games clear of the MLB\u2019s worst record, will end the campaign in 30th place. Now, as Forest Gump said, \u201cThat\u2019s all I have to say about that.\u201d<\/p>\n Let\u2019s get to the top five series.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n No. 1: Atlanta (83-57) at Phillies (79-61)<\/p>\n Series length: Four games (Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday)<\/p>\n Finally, they play again. Atlanta and Philadelphia meet for the first time since April. Gosh, I really dislike the four-month gap between intradivision games. These NL East foes played six times from April 17 to April 26, and Atlanta won five of those contests. It\u2019s been exactly 130 days since they last played. That\u2019s way too long for me. Spread these 13 head-to-head division matchups out a bit. Sprinkle them around the calendar so they don\u2019t play teams from their own division six or seven times in a fortnight.<\/p>\n At this point, I believe divisions need to go away completely, or MLB needs to drop the idea that more interleague contests are a good thing. Interleague matchups increased from 20 to 46 games beginning in 2023, while division matches dropped from 76 to 52 that same year. Atlanta and Philly will play seven times in less than two weeks this month, just as they did in April. That could be a positive given that the NL East race is down to these two clubs, which makes the last seven head-to-head matchups over the next nine days especially interesting.<\/p>\n Atlanta has a four-game lead over the Phils entering Friday. How would you like to be in Chris Sale<\/a>\u2019s cleats? Over his last two outings, he\u2019s had to face two likely top-five NL Cy Young candidates in Milwaukee\u2019s Jacob Misiorowski<\/a> and, most recently, the Dodgers Yoshinobu Yamamoto<\/a>. Now, the big lefty takes on the National League\u2019s wins leader, Cristopher S\u00e1nchez<\/a> (28 GS, 16-4, 2.52 ERA) in Friday\u2019s opener. From the fan\u2019s viewpoint, this is great. Are we in for another epic duel like we saw last weekend in Atlanta when Sale struck out 11 during a complete-game shutout versus Los Angeles? I have no idea, but I\u2019m going to watch this game hoping for a similar duel between two of the league\u2019s best arms. Sale\u2019s 2.06 ERA is second in the NL to only Misiorowski\u2019s 1.97 mark. This matchup between the two 6\u20196\u201d southpaws could very well determine the runner-up for the NL Cy Young. I don\u2019t think anyone will argue that, right now, the award is The Miz\u2019s to lose.<\/p>\n Starting pitching should be the one major advantage that Philadelphia has over Atlanta in this four-game set. Here are the expected matchups following Friday\u2019s Sale vs. Sanchez contest:<\/p>\n Saturday: ATL \u2013 Mart\u00edn P\u00e9rez<\/a> (26 G, 22 GS, 8-8, 3.05 ERA) versus PHI \u2013 Zack Wheeler<\/a> (23 GS, 11-5, 3.31 ERA)<\/p>\n Sunday: ATL \u2013 Tyler Mahle<\/a> (23 GS, 5-10, 4.25 ERA) versus PHI \u2013 Aaron Nola<\/a> (28 GS, 6-10, 4.93 ERA)<\/p>\n Monday: ATL \u2013 Bryce Elder<\/a> (26 GS, 8-8, 4.11 ERA) versus PHI \u2013 Jes\u00fas Luzardo<\/a> (28 GS, 13-5, 3.02 ERA)<\/p>\n A massive series on the importance and intrigue scale. The easy No. 1 choice this weekend.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n No. 2: Yankees (80-60) at Padres (73-67)<\/p>\n Series length: Three games (Friday, Saturday, Sunday)<\/p>\n To the first of two top-five interleague matchups on the list. The American League\u2019s No. 1 wild-card holder takes on a San Diego club that continues to pass around the third NL wild-card spot with Arizona seemingly every other day.<\/p>\n The Padres are a half-game back of the D-backs for the final NL WC, and return home after a road trip that saw them go 1-5 combined at Tampa Bay and Cincinnati. The Friars are 32-39 away from Petco Park, but at home, where they\u2019ll play this series against the Yankees, San Diego is 41-28. I don\u2019t like how this team is playing right now (3-7 record over its last 10 games), but I do like their upcoming schedule. After this series with New York, they have three contests against some of the worst National League squads (3 vs. Washington, 3 at San Francisco, 3 at Colorado). I know San Diego\u2019s road record so far isn\u2019t promising, but if there\u2019s ever an opening to win some games away from their home park, the next week-plus is the time to do so. Also, I like the second-half improvements from Fernando Tatis Jr.<\/a> The right fielder has 14 homers and 35 RBI along with a .298 batting average in 43 contests since the All-Star break. Those 14 taters are nearly three times as many as the five round-trippers he hit in 95 matches before the All-Star Game, and the 35 ribbies equal his first-half total. That\u2019s quite a turnaround for a player who didn\u2019t hit his first long ball until May.<\/p>\n New York is in the best shape of the six current wild card teams in MLB. They still have a shot at catching Tampa Bay in the AL East at three games back, and their lead over Boston for the No. 4 seed and home-field advantage in the ALWC is at 4 \u00bd games. Aaron Judge<\/a>\u2019s return isn\u2019t imminent, but it\u2019s getting close<\/a>. I don\u2019t know what we should expect from the five-time Silver Slugger when he returns, but there\u2019s no doubt that his presence in that lineup will instantly change how opposing teams navigate the Yankees offense.\u00a0<\/p>\n Friday\u2019s opener will see New York\u2019s Max Fried<\/a> (16 GS, 4-4, 2.80 ERA) battle Padres right-hander Walker Buehler<\/a> (27 GS, 8-6, 4.66 ERA).<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n No. 3: Diamondbacks (74-67) at Astros (72-69)<\/p>\n Series length: Three games (Friday, Saturday, Sunday)<\/p>\n At No. 3 on this weekend\u2019s list, we have another highly relevant interleague series between the club San Diego is trying to overtake in the NL wild card race, and an Astros squad that\u2019s coming off a 3-1 series victory against the AL Central-leading White Sox.<\/p>\n Houston has a two-game lead over Texas in the AL West. That\u2019s the narrowest division lead in MLB. They are also fighting with Chicago for the AL\u2019s No. 2 seed. After their series win over the ChiSox, the \u2018Stros enter this weekend 1 \u00bd games behind for that all-important bye to the ALDS. It could be a tough month ahead for the AL West leaders given that they play four more series against current playoff squads. Following this matchup with Arizona, Houston has a pair of three-game sets at Philadelphia and Tampa Bay, and then returns home for six contests against the Royals and Atlanta. That\u2019s not a schedule I\u2019d choose if I were in their situation.<\/p>\n I\u2019m trying to figure out this Diamondbacks offense. I wasn\u2019t a big believer in Arizona\u2019s bats before all the drama surrounding their second baseman<\/a> Ketel Marte<\/a>. Since his return, he\u2019s gone 2-for-6 at the dish over two contests, but my question is: do they have enough firepower in the lineup to be considered a serious threat if they were to make the playoffs? They don\u2019t hit many homers (137 HR ranks 14th in the NL), and their .710 OPS ranks 11th in the league. It\u2019s a mediocre offense at best, and we\u2019ll see if they hold off San Diego and possibly a couple of other clubs within striking distance for the league\u2019s No. 6 seed. Arizona plays three games in San Diego at the end of the regular season (Sept. 25-27).<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n No. 4: Rays (83-57) at Rangers (70-71)<\/p>\n Series length: Four games (Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday) *Rangers won Thursday\u2019s opener, 6-0.<\/p>\n