Baseball on TV This Week: Our Picks for July 27 – August 2
It's the last full week before the trade deadline, and the contenders are all jockeying for position. This week hands us an old-school NL Central rivalry with real Wild Card stakes, a rare interleague meeting of two 59-win teams in a national window, and Shohei Ohtani's Dodgers back on the big stage. Here's what we'd clear the schedule for — and exactly where to watch each one.
Editor's Picks
Cubs at Cardinals
One of baseball's oldest rivalries with a genuine edge this year: the Cubs (59–46) hold the top NL Wild Card spot, while the Cardinals (53–52) are fighting to stay in the race — and St. Louis has quietly won the season series 4–2. A division rival it can't afford to feed, at Busch Stadium.
Why watch: Pete Crow-Armstrong and Alex Bregman against Jordan Walker and a Cardinals bullpen leaning on 26-save closer Riley O'Brien. Records as of late July; they move daily.
Mariners at Dodgers
The best team in the National League on national TV. The Dodgers (67–39, a double-digit lead in the NL West) host Seattle, with Shohei Ohtani — who reached his 300th career home run this season — back in the spotlight after a quieter July at the plate.
Why watch: a first-place juggernaut, an AL West visitor, and one of the game's biggest stars, all in a national window.
Yankees at Cubs
The schedule quirk of the week: two teams with identical 59–46 records, each leading its league's Wild Card race, meeting in a FOX Saturday night window at Wrigley Field. The Yankees are doing it without Aaron Judge (out with a rib stress fracture), with Ben Rice carrying the bats.
Why watch: a rare Yankees–Cubs meeting, a national stage, and two genuine contenders. Bregman facing his old league is a nice subplot.
Braves at Mets
Two NL East teams heading in opposite directions. Atlanta has stayed near the top of the division; the Mets (44–62) have endured a miserable season — a midseason managerial change to interim skipper Andy Green, and star Juan Soto sidelined by a calf strain. A chance for New York to play spoiler, or for the Braves to keep the pressure on.
Everything else on this week
That's our shortlist, but it's a deep week beyond the top four — with the July 31 trade deadline looming, every contender's series carries extra weight. See the complete week, with every first pitch converted to your local time zone, on our full schedule.
New to the 2026 TV maze? Our viewing guides break down exactly where every game lives this year, what's free, and what it costs.
First pitch shown in US Eastern; on the live schedule it converts to your local zone automatically. Listings verified as of publication — see how we check our TV listings.