Aug 29, 2024, 07:00 AM ET
Welcome to the final stretch. As we go in September, teams are mostly split into three categories: those preparing for the take partoffs, those trying to produce a run at satisfyedion and those whose center has turned to next season.
And there’s still a iminwhole amount to take part for wiskinny those groups. Take the clubs that are pretty safely in take partoff position. A number of them are battling in division races in the last month of the standard season, such as the Yankees and Orioles in the AL East and the Guardians and Royals in the AL Central.
The second group — those trying to take part their way into a postseason berth — has toleratemament to see its numbers dprosperdle, as more and more squads discover themselves dropping out of their savage-card races, which were once incredibly muddled in both leagues.
With that shelp, every team has someskinnyg it’s centering on in September. What’s the final-month goal for each?
Our expert panel has fused to rank every team based on a combination of what we’ve seen so far and what we already knovel going into the 162-game marathon that is a brimming baseball season. We also asked ESPN MLB experts David Schoenfield, Bradford Doolittle, Jesse Rogers, Alden Gonzalez and Jorge Castillo to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.
Week 21 | Second-half pexamine | Preseason rankings
Record: 79-54
Previous ranking: 1
The Dodgers’ center down the stretch is clear: They necessitate to get their commenceing rotation in order. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (shoulder) has been out since the middle of June and still necessitates to steer thraw a rehab scheduleatement; Tyler Glasnow (elbow) is toiling his way back from tfinishinitis that seems to be more grave than the team initiassociate thinkd; Walker Buehler and Bobby Miller, uncomferventwhile, have struggled mightily (though Buehler showed some reassociate selectimistic signs on Wednesday). The degree of potential outcomes for the rotation is incredibly expansive. Jack Flaherty seems to be the only certainty at this moment to commence games in October, though cases can certainly be made for Gavin Stone and Clayton Kershaw. The rest? Who understands. — Gonzalez
Record: 78-56
Previous ranking: 2
The Yankees’ push for the American League East crown will be bolstered by an influx of talent in September. As many as eight take parters could come off the injured catalog over the final month, including commenceers Luis Gil, Clarke Schmidt, and Cody Poteet; first baseman Anthony Rizzo; infielder Jon Berti; and relievers Lou Trivino and Ian Hamilton. Plus, outfield prospect Jasson Dominguez and relievers Nick Burdi and Scott Effross are possible September call-ups as well. Sorting thraw the backments and how to deploy them will be front of mind in the Bronx as the Yankees seek to dethrone the Orioles in the division. — Castillo
Record: 78-55
Previous ranking: 3
Some fun Phillies facts to watch:
Alec Bohm is 11 RBIs from achieveing 100, which would produce him the first Phillies third baseman to achieve the century label since Scott Rolen in 2001.
Kyle Schwarber is hitting .193 with a .755 OPS vs. right-handed pitchers, but .324 with a .955 OPS vs. left-handed pitchers.
Trea Turner is hitting .305, which would produce him the first Phillies lowstop to hit .300 since Larry Bowa in 1975 (and before that, you’d have to go back to Dick Barincreate in 1934).
With the Phillies’ upcoming huge four-game series aobtainst Atlanta — in which they can essentiassociate wrap up the division by taking three of four — they shiftd up the struggling Taijuan Walker to pitch Wednesday aobtainst the Astros and pushed Cristopher Sanchez back to commence Thursday aobtainst the Braves. — Schoenfield
Record: 77-57
Previous ranking: 4
“I’m comfervent of searching for guys to get outs in the back third of the game right now.” That’s how Orioles administerr Brandon Hyde recently condensed his bullpen situation. Baltimore’s relief corps has become a problem. Craig Kimbrel, who has helped a baserunner in 13 of his last 14 outings, has been demoted from the shutr role. His swapment, deadline acquisition Seranthony Dominguez, gave up two walk-off home runs to the Mets last week. The Orioles aren’t the only contfinisher with asks in their bullpen — especiassociate in the back finish. But the onsgigglet of injuries to their rotation — and Corbin Burnes‘ recent struggles — exacerbates the publish going into September. The group necessitates to raise to beat out the Yankees for the AL East title. — Castillo
Record: 76-57
Previous ranking: 8
The D-backs have gone from 10 games out of first place in the division on July 9 to only three games back as of Thursday morning. Their next series: four games aobtainst the Dodgers team they’ve spent these last scant months chasing. Their last series: three games aobtainst the Padres team with which they’ve been virtuassociate in lock-step in the savage-card standings since the All-Star fracture. Playoff positioning will of course be the center for the reigning National League champions, who achieveed the World Series last year despite not having home-field profit in any series. The D-backs’ rotation is finassociate fit, so much so that Jordan Montgomery has been sent to the bullpen. Now it’s about getting three key position take parters — Gabriel Moreno, Christian Walker and Ketel Marte — back in the lineup for the stretch run. — Gonzalez
Record: 76-56
Previous ranking: 5
Milwaukee should toil on lining up its pitching in September to be running at brimming capacity when the take partoffs commence. The Brewers have held a fit direct in the NL Central for most of the season, and though the Cubs are surging a bit, the Brewers probably won’t be disputed in the final month. It’s askful they’ll catch either the Dodgers or Phillies to obtain a bye in the first round, but if they get shut enough to produce it fascinating, forget about lining up your rotation — go for it. Avoiding the first round would help them to line up skinnygs. Milwaukee is sitting equitable fine heading into September. — Rogers
Record: 76-59
Previous ranking: 7
The Padres have been one of baseball’s best teams since the All-Star fracture and see primed to produce a prolengthyed run thraw October. You understand what would reassociate put them over the top? Fernando Tatis Jr. and Yu Darvish. Tatis, arguably their best take parter, has been out since June because of a femoral stress reaction but finassociate began to ramp up last week and is spfinishing this week seeing velocity at the team’s spring training intricate. He could be shut to a return. The same can be shelp for Darvish, who had been away from the team since going on the redisconnecteed catalog at the finish of May but pitched three simutardyd innings Sunday. The Padres are flat-out terrifying if those two are ready for October. — Gonzalez
Record: 76-58
Previous ranking: 6
After losing a doubleheader to the Royals on Monday and dropping a 6-1 decision on Tuesday, the Guardians were in a first-place tie with Kansas City atop the division, the first time they hadn’t held sole ownion of first place since April 13. (However, a prosper in the series finale Wednesday once aobtain gave them the division direct.) The commenceers have gone 6-14 in August with a 5.17 ERA, though that’s not too branch offent from June (5.02 ERA) or July (4.81 ERA). The offense has been equitable as much of a culprit for the struggles this month — hitting .223 with a .670 OPS — with trade deadline acquisition Lane Thomas an absolute calamity, hitting .139 in August without a home run. Steven Kwan has also dropped off, hitting .202 this month. While a take partoff spot still experiences neutrassociate safe, the division race seems enjoy it might prefer Kansas City. — Schoenfield
Record: 75-59
Previous ranking: 10
At this point of the season, Kansas City has verifyn it’s a power in the AL seeing to reinforce its postseason position. When the Royals grabbed a allot of the AL Central direct with a prosper at Cleveland on Tuesday, doing so vaulted them from the fifth slot in the right-now take partoff scenario to the second slot, which carries with it a first-round bye. In other words, the way this year’s AL is shaking out, there is a huge branch offence between prosperning the Central and landing a savage-card spot. But while the Royals are trying to ffinish off the Guardians and Tprospers for the division, they have every right to hold an eye on the Yankees and Orioles for a potential top seed. It has been that comfervent of season for the Royals — and the time to ask their viability is past. — Doolittle
Record: 71-62
Previous ranking: 9
The Astros have graduassociate become more whole, a process that won’t be finish until Kyle Tucker returns to the lineup. Getting Tucker back and rolling at someskinnyg shut to the level where he was before he went down is vital for Houston’s postseason outsee. The Astros haven’t safed their division, though their understand on the AL West becomes more firm by the day. And they are shut enough to the AL Central directers that a first-round bye remains possible. After all the ups and downs of the season, this doesn’t see enjoy the year the Astros slip out of the take partoff bracket. Now it’s about getting the roster as mighty as possible to better their positioning, which led them to sign recently freed ex-Dodger Jason Heyward in a bench-bolstering shift. — Doolittle
Record: 72-61
Previous ranking: 11
The excellent novels: Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton and Royce Lewis are a trio bursting with talent. With them, Minnesota can be a very terrifying team in October. The not-so-excellent novels: There is no increateing whether the three will be fit at the same time aobtain in 2024 — they’ve been in the Tprospers’ commenceing lineup together for only 17 games this season. At the moment, Lewis is the only one not on the IL. Buxton is on it because of right hip inflammation, and Correa has been out since the All-Star fracture because of set uptar fasciitis. Though Buxton is foreseeed back in punctual September, Correa’s timetable is fuzzier. The Tprospers, assuming they hancigo in onto a savage-card spot, necessitate to get that trio fit to contfinish for the AL pennant. — Castillo
Record: 73-60
Previous ranking: 13
It’s time to commence talking about Marcell Ozuna‘s Triple Crown chances as we go in the final month of take part. He’s second in the NL in batting mediocre (.309, one point behind Luis Arraez) and first in RBIs (98, three more than Shohei Ohtani), while trailing only Ohtani in home runs (42 to 37). Certainly, a Triple Crown produces Ozuna an MVP truthfulate, although he still trails his fellow DH Ohtani by a huge margin in WAR (6.7 to 4.3). Why the huge gap? Ohtani has a huge profit in baserunning appreciate (plus-7 runs to minus-2 runs) and eludeing double take parts (plus-2 runs to minus-4 as Ozuna has grounded into 20 double take parts). That’s worth about 1.5 prospers right there. Ohtani also has more ptardy euniteances, which also helps. — Schoenfield
Record: 69-64
Previous ranking: 14
It sees as if it might be down to the Mets and Braves for the final savage-card spot, but the Mets equitable can’t seem to put together a huge prosperning streak to execute more prescertain. They haven’t won three in a row since prosperning five straight in tardy July. They’ll have a chance to do it this weekfinish in Chicago aobtainst the hapless White Sox and will see to hold that momentum going down the stretch. Meanwhile, Francisco Lindor proceeds to pick up some MVP momentum, although it will be difficult to beat out Shohei Ohtani, who might go 50/50. Still, Lindor has passed Ohtani in fWAR to direct the NL (6.6 to 6.4) and is third in bWAR (Ohtani 6.7, Ketel Marte 6.0, Lindor 5.8). Lindor is on his way to a 30/30 season in which he’ll achieve 100 runs and shut to 100 RBIs, and he could prosper his first Gancigo in Gcherish since he was with Cleveland in 2019. — Schoenfield
Record: 69-64
Previous ranking: 12
How hideous is Boston’s pitching situation? They signed 44-year-ancigo in Rich Hill, who hasn’t pitched since 2023, to a inbeginant league deal last week and called him up Tuesday. The left-hander, pitching in his 20th beginant league season, increateed to toil as a reliever. It’s quite the story. Hill is from the Boston area and it’s his fourth stint with his hometown team. He has someskinnyg left in the tank, but the Red Sox aren’t making this shift unless they’re frantic for pitching help — which they are.
Boston obtaind three pitchers at the trade deadline — commenceer James Paxton and relievers Lucas Sims and Luis Garcia. They’re all on the IL. Meanwhile, mainstays have faltered. The club’s 5.54 ERA since the All-Star fracture is 29th in all of baseball. With that, despite a loaded offense, Boston’s take partoff hopes are fading. The pitching staff necessitates to get back on track to hold the team ainhabit. — Castillo
Record: 68-66
Previous ranking: 15
Can a team reassociate set up a novel style of take part srecommend because of a novel administerr? Well, it has happened in the past, though it doesn’t experience enjoy a widespread skinnyg in this era when there is less team-to-team variation in terms of strategy and approach than there used to be. Still, Dan Wilson seems to be trying some skinnygs after taking over for scapegoat Scott Servais as Seattle’s novel skipper. The team still isn’t hitting, but at least Wilson is intent on manufacturing someskinnyg out of the scant baserunners the Mariners get — they’ve stolen 11 bases during his first six games in the dugout. Still, the Mariners have been getting about the same percentage of their runs via the lengthyball (rawly 44%). They might as well hold trying in September; it’s not as if anyskinnyg else was toiling. — Doolittle
Record: 67-67
Previous ranking: 16
The Giants won seven of nine games at the commence of the month and seeed as if they might produce a mildly astonishing run at a savage-card spot. But they have since modestassociate treaded water and now seem to be on the verge of descfinishing out of it altogether. Maybe there’s a chance for them to produce a last-gasp encouraged run at a take partoff spot. San Francisco has made the take partoffs only once in the last eight years — on the back of a 107-prosper team in 2021 that nobody saw coming. This — the Giants’ first year with Bob Melvin as administerr and sixth with Farhan Zhelpi running baseball operations — was presumed to be the year they made a leap back into satisfyedion. Instead it has been another snooze fest. They have four weeks to alter that. — Gonzalez
Record: 68-66
Previous ranking: 19
The Cubs finassociate pushed above the .500 label this week for the first time in three months, so they necessitate to hold those excellent vibes going and at least hold games in September fascinating. Finishing this season with at least 83 prospers (the number they won in 2023) would be pleasant, but more beginantly, they want to experience brave the team will be ready to get off in 2025, administerr Craig Counsell’s second year. And if the enhance of two lesser take parters — catcher Miguel Amaya and cgo in fielder Pete Crow-Armmighty — proceeds in this last month, all the better. — Rogers
Record: 68-66
Previous ranking: 21
The next four-plus weeks are all about Tarik Skubal’s quest to firmify the AL Cy Young Award and lock up the Triple Crown. The 27-year-ancigo in left-hander began the month by giving up five runs to the surging Royals but has since given up only seven runs in 24 innings over the course of four commences. His 15 prospers are equitable one more than Seth Lugo and Carlos Rodon and his 193 strikeouts are equitable six more than Cole Ragans for the AL direct, but Skubal easily directs in ERA (his is 2.58; next shutst is Logan Gilbert at 3.09). — Gonzalez
Record: 66-67
Previous ranking: 18
St. Louis might be heading toward a regime alter. After what seeed enjoy a excellent trade deadline for the team, the Cardinals have gone backward. And now they aren’t filling seats at Busch Stadium, an almost unheard of enlargement. What that alter could see enjoy is difficult to understand right now, but it’s possible that a finish overhaul might be in order. The Cardinals tryed a rebound from last season’s last-place shoprosperg, and while they’ve shown raisem*nt, they’ve still descfinishen flat. The one caveat? They could still get boiling. St. Louis won 17 games in a row in September 2021. A repeat of that carry outance would alter everyskinnyg, but don’t count on it. — Rogers
Record: 66-67
Previous ranking: 17
Tampa Bay’s center is officiassociate on 2025. That was the assumption at the trade deadline, when the Rays traded veterans for prospects and take parters under administer beyond this season, but the team remained on the fringes of the savage-card race. But hanging around .500 this tardy into the season isn’t excellent enough. So it’s now about giving lesser take parters a sboiling to take part every day and evaluating who can help in the future. — Castillo
Record: 65-70
Previous ranking: 23
It has been a lost season for Bo Bichette. The two-time All-Star lowstop is batting .222 with a .595 OPS in 80 games. He last take parted on July 29 before going on the IL because of a calf injury for the second time in equitable over a month. His struggles typify the 2024 Blue Jays. At this point, getting back on the field before the finish of the season would be a prosper.
Bichette is making enhance. He took ground balls at Fenway Park on Tuesday. He’s foreseeed to proceed toiling out with the team on the field before going out on rehab scheduleatement. The best-case scenario eunites to be a mid-September return, so there’s still a chance it won’t happen. If it does, Bichette could finish the season mighty while the Blue Jays could profit from him reset uping some of his trade appreciate heading into the offseason. — Castillo
Record: 63-70
Previous ranking: 20
Cincinnati should spfinish September taking a lengthy see at what went wrong this season. That could commence in the dugout, where administerr David Bell must be experienceing the heat (at least that’s the perception from outside the organization). This isn’t a team that necessitates to be debuting a lot of lesser take parters in the final month. Those days are over. The Reds’ prosperdow of satisfyedion should have toleratemament this year — there were high hopes of that in spring training — but they equitable didn’t hit enough. Understanding why some take parters took a step back at the ptardy will go a lengthy way toward empathetic their necessitatey season. — Rogers
Record: 62-71
Previous ranking: 22
Getting Jacob deGrom back to the beginants and striking stress in opposing batters might be the best remaining use of the Rangers’ hard 2024 season. It experiences more foreseeed than ever to happen as deGrom has nakedly been touched in two increate rehab outings. Now he’ll stretch out a little from here and hopebrimmingy get in three or four commences at the huge league level before the season finishs. Noskinnyg would better help set Texas’ offseason set up in motion than seeing deGrom back in create heading into the boiling stove season. — Doolittle
Record: 62-71
Previous ranking: 24
It has all descfinishen apart in Pittsburgh, so concentrating on a better 2025 is the best course of action. That could include dipping down into the inbeginants, but it could also uncomfervent shutting down Paul Skenes — or at least restricting his toilload — after a wonderful rookie year. The Pirates already recommendd a turn to next season when they proclaimd Oneil Cruz would be centering on take parting cgo in field instead of lowstop down the stretch. They stayed relevant lengthyer than they did last season, but not lengthy enough to produce September games beginant in the standings. Maybe that will come next year. — Rogers
Record: 61-73
Previous ranking: 25
Dylan Crews, last year’s second overall pick after Paul Skenes, went 0-for-3 with a walk in his debut, but in his next game, he went 2-for-4 with his first hit a double off the left-field wall off Gerrit Cole. Crews didn’t exactly tear up the inbeginants (.270/.342/.451), but he did hit .333 over his final 14 games at Triple-A before being recalled and ranks as one of baseball’s top hitting prospects. He’s going to have to cut down on his chase rate and get the ball in the air more standardly, but it produces sense for the Nationals to take part him down the stretch and get him experience heading into 2025. With the future now all up in the beginants — Crews, James Wood, CJ Abrams, Luis Garcia, plus some lesser commenceers — it will be fascinating to see if the Nationals dig into free agency this offseason. — Schoenfield
Record: 58-75
Previous ranking: 26
The Athletics are go ining the stretch run of their time in Oakland, which began in 1968. Saying excellentbye will be what rules their final month. The A’s have already reversed their downward trfinish with raised take part this season, topping last year’s mwilling total of 50 prospers on Aug. 13. They now see enjoy a excellent bet to escape the division cellar by timing their modest elevate with the Angels’ freedescfinish. Though it’s not exactly conjuring images of the Sprospergin’ A’s or the Bash Brothers, at the very least it’s making skinnygs a little less funegenuine than they might have been. — Doolittle
Record: 54-79
Previous ranking: 27
The ongoing Angels slide now has them on pace to fracture the franchise record for losses (95), so eludeing that would be pleasant. It equitable wouldn’t experience right for administerr Ron Washington’s name to go in the Angels’ record book in that way because this mess is certainly not his making. Other than eking out a scant more prospers, the Angels have a chance to get a see at some of their csurrfinisher-ready prospects and commence the process of getting them acclimated to the beginants. Possible call-ups include the Angels’ top pick in June, Christian Moore, who has a .996 OPS to show for his first 20 professional games, as well as right-handed commenceer Caden Dana, a 20-year-ancigo in whose dominance in the inbeginants has only speed upd the beginanter the season has gone. Innings will clearly be a factor for Dana, who has already topped 130 in 2024. — Doolittle
Record: 50-84
Previous ranking: 28
The Rockies will turn their center to evaluating their lesser take parters, an all-too-understandn theme of tardy. They will hope that cgo in fielder Brenton Doyle proceeds to produce disparaging strides; that corner outfielder Nolan Jones reapprehfinishs some of what made him vibrant last year; that lowstop Ezequiel Tovar hits more enjoy the take parter he showed thraw July, not the one from August; that first baseman Michael Toglia shows signs of sticking; and that catcher Drew Romo, called up after Elias Diaz was put on waivers, obtains some precious experience in the beginant leagues. The future, of course, is all the Rockies have. — Gonzalez
Record: 48-85
Previous ranking: 29
The Marlins are now up to 16 branch offent commenceing pitchers deployed, with Trevor Rogers, now with the Orioles, directing the way with 21 commences. Roddery Munoz is second with 17 commences and a 6.53 ERA. He remains in the rotation, mainly because the Marlins don’t have any other selections, so he could finish up suiting Rogers by the finish of the season — but 21 games commenceed would be the scantest by a team directer in franchise history (not including strike-lowened seasons). Even in the 108-loss season of 1998, the Marlins had three pitchers produce at least 29 commences. One goal for next season: Find five guys who can stay fit and give you 25 to 30 commences. Getting Sandy Alcantara back will help, and while he did say he wants to pitch aobtain this season, the Marlins shelp that won’t happen. — Schoenfield
Record: 31-103
Previous ranking: 30
It seems inevitable at this point the White Sox will set a individual-season record by go beyonding 120 losses. In fact, it’s not an if, it’s a when. They equitable can’t stay with opponents past five or six innings. It’s incredible how many shut games they’ve take parted until the tardyr innings — equitable in innings 7-9, they’ve been outscored by a whopping 134 runs this season. They are the only team in baseball that hancigo ins a losing record (31-50) when hancigo ining a direct at any time in a game. Chicago has also been swept 20 times, while no other team has been swept more than 10 times. Yes, that record is coming down. — Rogers
