The 2023 schedule features more different matchups than ever before as each team plays each other team over the course of the season. Some of these unique series pop up this week, including a pair of Interleague matchups between first-place squads. Here are five series to watch during the week of May 15.

 

Angels (21-20) at Orioles (26-14)

  • 4 games (Monday-Thursday)

Head-to-head: The Orioles dominated the series in 2022, taking eight of nine games against the Angels. Both teams are improved so far this season, though. Baltimore currently has the second-best record in the American League while Los Angeles is one game above .500 after finishing 16 games below last season.

Storyline: The Orioles' hot start. If it wasn't for the Tampa Bay Rays, who are making MLB history with their start to the season, this young Baltimore team would be the talk of baseball. The Orioles were looked at by most as one year away from truly competing in the tough AL East. It looks like they've arrived early.

MLB

Why the Dodgers, not the Padres, remain the standard in the NL West

Watch out for: Everyone knows about what Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout are doing. But take a look at the year Hunter Renfroe is having. Renfroe has 10 home runs so far this season, which is tied for the eighth-most in the Majors. The Angels added Renfroe hoping that he would provide some protection for Trout and Ohtani in their lineup. He's done that and then some.

 

Braves (25-15) at Rangers (25-15)

  • 3 games (Monday-Wednesday)

Head-to-head: The Braves and Rangers matched up last season for the first time since the 2017 season. Texas took two out of three during that series despite Atlanta being the much better team in 2022. That's changed this season — both teams lead their division by a healthy margin.

Storyline: Are the Rangers for real? After a big offseason that brought in Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, Andrew Heaney and a new manager in Bruce Bochy, Texas fans expected an improvement on 2022. But this good? A solid showing against this excellent Braves team could help prove to doubters that the Rangers are here to stay.

Watch out for: Ronald Acuña Jr., who is perhaps the leading NL MVP candidate at this point in the season. After tearing his ACL in July 2021, Acuña didn't quite look like himself last season. He's definitely back to being himself now. Acuña is second the National League in batting average (.346) and stolen bases (17) all while flashing his pre-injury power (8 home runs).