Ranking the Best MLB Series of Memorial Day Weekend

We've been at this baseball thing for a while now, the whole notion of "it's the beginning of the season" is long gone, replaced by legitimate worries over the Red Sox' record or Albert Pujols' terrible numbers or, on the flip-side, the Orioles' hot start. 

But aside from ESPN highlights, how much have you seen of Boston blowing it, of Pujols lacking power, of Baltimore belting its way into AL East contention? Maybe it's time to take a weekend – a long weekend, in fact—to sit back, relax and soak in what the 2012 season of Major League Baseball has to offer.

There's a slate of series over Memorial Day Weekend to whet the baseball fans' appetite. And while you won't get Giants vs Dodgers or any of the other typical, over-hyped rivalries, there are plenty of intriguing match-ups to get you through three straight days of not having to punch that time clock. Here are the 10 best. 

10. Giants at Marlins

Tim Lincecum seems to like the sunshine, and his boys should be getting plenty of it when the Giants head down to South Florida to take on Miami in a match up of potential-filled teams that could be doing a lot better. 

Right now, the Marlins and Giants are like an August day in The Keys. The temperature (their potential) is in the low 90s, which seems ideally perfect. But then you have to factor in the sweltering humidity (dumb mistakes, inability to get it done) and you've got a mixture of nice, but still frustrating to be around. 

Weather references aside, every game for these hovering-around-.500 teams could either be a rung on a ladder to climbing up the standings or another shovel of dirt burying their postseason aspirations. 

Oh, and goofy as it looks, the Marlins' home run gizmo hasn't completely lost it's luster yet. 

9. Angels at Mariners

That man, right there. That's it. He's the reason why, none other really. This series—really any Angles game if you're not a halos fan—Pujols is the star attraction. He's why a big chunk of casual baseball fans in the Pacific Northwest will choose to spend part of their weekend at Safeco, and why another lot of round ball lovers will tune in with their MLBTV accounts. 

Even when he's not hitting (like right now), Pujols commands attention. He's the $200-million man with the .200 average, and you can get behind that storyline whether you want him to succeed or would rather see "The Machine" further malfunction. 

It's worth watching to see if he can get the home-run stroke in gear, or just laugh as he takes what's becoming a way-too-familiar walk back to the dugout after making another out. 

8. Blue Jays at Rangers

Pretty much the same logic with Pujols, but let's apply it to someone who is actually hitting a baseball this season. Josh Hamilton is cranking the living you-know-what out of the baseball. 

It's been an incredible 2012 for the slugger, whose 4-homer game earlier in the year is the standing leader for Performance of the Season. While things certainly can change, why not have some fun taking in a player who's creating Triple Crown hype among TV and radio talking heads? 

His presence alone makes this a must watch. Just watch out for flying helmets, Josh. 

7. Royals at Orioles

There are a lot of high-fives going down at Camden Yards these days, as well there should be. Everyone's talking about the 25 boys in Baltimore who are shoving it in everybody's faces by rocketing past the Yankees and Red Sox to rub elbows with other division leaders. 

Really? Baltimore? Those dudes in the toughest division in baseball with the minuscule-by-comparison payroll? We're late enough into the season that it can be argued this isn't a fluke, but not late enough that you can't jump on the bandwagon. 

Why not take a look at their series if you haven't seen this team play? 

6. Tigers at Twins

We'll skip past the inter-division rivalry talk and how every game between these AL Central opponents matters etc. You're a baseball fan, you know this. You've made it this far. That means, you probably know that one of the best reasons to catch this series over memorial day weekend is to see Prince Fielder and, if the baseball rotation and weather gods play nice, Justin Verlander. 

Prince may be The King of Singles right now (which is a little lame considering he wasn't exactly given a small country's GDP to be a contact hitter), but the potential for him to uncork a shot that'll land halfway across The Gopher State is a hanging-slider away. 

Then there's Verlander. Worth watching—in person, on your flat-screen, iPad, whatever. Pick a medium, even radio, and his dominance is transparent. 

5. Indians at White Sox

Cleveland rocks, but the road has been just as friendly for the Indians, who have one of the best records in baseball on the road. As cool as Jacobs Field (OK, Progressive Field) is, these AL Central contenders have had even more success when they're outside their proverbial comfort zone. 

Take, for example, the first week of May. Cleveland was playing the ChiSox on the South Side, and they took two of three. It's a series win that a manager will take every time against a division rival. Can they do it again? Tune in. 

4. Yankees at Athletics

Jeter!

A-Rod!

Other, overpaid, over-hyped players in pinstripes! 

Yes, we all know the reasons why the Yankees are so popular, and why wherever they go they get big ratings and draw big crowds and the like.

So because many baseball fans will already be watching this series as such, let me provide an alternate reason. 

Yoenis Cespedes.

The A's potential-filled sensation by way of Cuba is scheduled to make his return from the DL on May 27. That's a reason to watch right there. 

3. Phillies at Cardinals

Traditional powers can't go wrong here. Even though the Phillies aren't a standings-topper right now, they're still very much in play when it comes to their division. While the .500 mark certainly isn't appeasing angry, boo-happy, battery-thrower dudes on Broad Street, there's enough time to still make an ascent. 

And you know what would go a long way toward making these fans happy?

How about a series win over the defending World Series Champions?

Teams will always try and play up against the reigning champs, and teams always seem to play up against the Phillies, mainly because it's just so fun to stick it to them. 

For the same reasons, this series is one to watch. 

2. Nationals at Braves

I'll be honest: Only reason I watch the Nationals play is to catch Bryce Harper at-bats. I've seen Strasburg and such, but there's something so compelling about the hype-filled rookie whose been a constant media presence since SI sent his ego into the stratosphere with that cover story a few years back. 

Plus, he throws legendary temper tantrums. Love those.

And yes, this is also a matchup of the two best teams in the NL East. Perfect mixture. 

1. Rays at Red Sox

Scandal and arguments and struggles move the chain in the sports world, and there hasn't been a bigger story in baseball this season than Beantown getting beat up. The Boston media has been all over the story—same goes for ESPN and the like. 

It's just been one big mess in Boston, which makes this series all the more fun to watch.

You want panic mode to reach Code Double Red Squared? Oh, it will happen and then some if Tampa Bay saunters away with a sweep in this series. Even a series win by the Rays will crank the schadenfreude up to 11. 

Conversely, a good series by the Sox could turn around a lot of naysayers. It's why if you're going to spend any of memorial day watching baseball—this is the best series out there.