30. Baltimore Orioles (43-93)
This Week: vs. Kansas City (3), vs. Toronto (4)
The O’s might be 50 games under .500, but at least they took two-of-three in Yankee Stadium this weekend. It was just the second series win for Baltimore since the start of August. There are two interesting storylines for the O’s as the season winds down. One, will Cedric Mullins become the first Baltimore Oriole to post a 30-30 season? The first-time All-Star is currently at 26 homers and 26 stolen bases on the year. And two, will the O’s be able to hold onto the No. 1 pick and add to their farm system?
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29. Arizona Diamondbacks (45-93)
This Week: vs. Texas (2), @ Seattle (3)
In the race for the No. 1 pick in 2022, Arizona stands as the one team that could give Baltimore a run. It comes as no surprise that the two worst teams in baseball play in the two most competitive divisions in the league. The NL West and AL East have taken turns beating the D-Backs and O’s down all year long. Arizona could go on a serious run (of losses) down the stretch with 19 of its remaining 24 games against teams above .500.
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28. Pittsburgh Pirates (49-89)
This Week: vs. Detroit (2), vs. Washington (3)
Pittsburgh snapped a six-game skid on Monday, and now own the worst run-differential in the National League. With the Cubs’ recent win-streak, the Pirates have separated themselves as the bottom-dwellers in the NL Central for the third-straight year. Pittsburgh hasn’t finished in the top-2 in the division since 2015 — the last time the franchise reached the postseason. With some serious needs all across the roster, the Pirates will surely embrace a top-3 pick in next year’s draft.
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27. Texas Rangers (49-88)
This Week: @ Arizona (2), @ Oakland (3)
The Rangers have been good more recently than the Pirates, but it looks like a last place finish for the second year in a row in Texas. This result was expected after the team shipped off Joey Gallo and Kyle Gibson during the trade deadline. It’s time to start over for the Rangers, a team that desperately needs to revamp their farm system if they hope to compete in the near future. It’s going to be a tough road back to the top in the AL West. It doesn’t seem like the Astros are going anywhere, the Angels are supremely talented, and the A’s/Mariners always seem to find ways to compete.
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26. Washington Nationals (57-80)
This Week: @ Atlanta (3), @ Pittsburgh (3)
The Nats have been a thorn in the Mets’ sides for the last few weeks. Though New York has beaten Washington five times since Aug. 27, the Nats have three victories over the Mets during that time — all by one run. Losing close games to teams outside of the playoff picture is not something the Mets can afford right now. Washington used a 9th inning rally against Edwin Diaz to take home the win on Sunday. Former top prospect Carter Kieboom delivered the game-winning hit, and the 24-year-old is enjoying a nice second-half of the season after a shaky start to his career. In August, Kieboom posted an .817 OPS.
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25. Miami Marlins (57-80)
This Week: vs. New York Mets (3), @ Atlanta (3)
Playing the role of spoiler, the Marlins took two-of-three from the Phillies over the weekend. Philadelphia, who is just 1.5 GB from the division-leading Braves, were simply outplayed by a Miami team that has struggled all year long. One of Miami’s victories came with NL All-Star Trevor Rogers on the mound. The 23-year-old NL All-Star missed all of August and looked solid in his return. The other win was a Jesus Luzardo start, who has pitched significantly better in his last two appearances for Miami.
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24. Minnesota Twins (60-77)
This Week: @ Cleveland (3), vs. Kansas City (3)
Welcome back, Byron Buxton. After hitting a rough patch since returning to the lineup, Buxton smashed his first home run since June 20 on Monday. Buxton has now had back-to-back two-hit performances, and seems to be getting back into a rhythm at the plate. It will be interesting to see how Minnesota chooses to approach contract talks with its center fielder. Buxton reportedly turned down a low-ball offer from the Twins in July. It’s unclear how much money Minnesota will want to shell out for a 27-year-old star who has proven to be injury prone.
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23. Kansas City Royals (62-75)
This Week: @ Balitmore (3), @ Minnesota (3)
With a 26-22 record out of the break, the Royals have been surprisingly competent over the last two months. That continued into last week when the Royals won a weekend series over the division-leading White Sox. Though Salvador Perez’ streaking bat has been a catalyst on offense, it’s been KC’s pitching that has fueled the stretch run. The Royals staff posted a 5.15 ERA before the All-Star break. Since coming out of the break, KC holds a 3.76 ERA.
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22. Colorado Rockies (63-75)
This Week: vs. San Francisco (3), @ Philadelphia (4)
The Rockies finally managed to lose some games in Coors this week. After a series-split with the Braves, the Rockies took another loss at home at the hands of the Giants on Monday. In 70 games at home this year, the Rockies (as a team) have posted a .831 OPS. Over the course of the entire year, the Blue Jays have the No. 1 team OPS in the league with a .785 mark. Unfortunately, the Rockies rank 14th overall in OPS thanks to a .620 mark on the road.
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21. Detroit Tigers (65-74)
This Week: @ Pittsburgh (3), vs. Tampa Bay (3)
Considering that the Tigers are just two years removed from a 114-loss campaign, being nine games under .500 isn’t so bad. Especially when you consider help is on the way. Manager AJ Hinch was candid when speaking about the 2020 first overall pick. Hinch said that, “There’s no secret that our first baseman of the future is going to be Spencer Torkelson.” Torkelson has worked his way from single-A ball all the way up to AAA in a single season. It’s only a matter of time until we see him in the big leagues.
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20. Chicago Cubs (64-75)
This Week: vs. Cincinnati (3), vs. San Francisco (3)
The hottest team in baseball is the Chicago Cubs? Go figure. After trading away nearly their entire core, the Cubs have suddenly caught fire with an eclectic lineup of misfits. 29-year-old Frank Schwindel is on his third MLB team, and has been absolutely raking at the dish. Since joining the Cubs, Schwindel is posting a slash line of .374/.421/.699 with 10 homers and 30 RBI. Schwindel’s 1.4 WAR in 33 games is more than Anthony Rizzo posted in 92 appearance with the Cubs this year (1.2).
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19. Los Angeles Angels (68-70)
This Week: @ San Diego (2), @ Houston (3)
Ohtani pitched another gem on Friday, allowing just two runs and striking out eight over 7.0 IP versus Texas. It took him a while to get there (117 pitches is a new career-high), but Ohtani is now 9-1 on the year. Oh, and he also smashed his 43rd homer of the year the day before. Ohtani is well on his way to securing his first MVP trophy and is having one of the most incredible seasons in Major League history.
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18. Cleveland Indians (68-67)
This Week: vs. Minnesota (4), vs. Milwaukee (3)
Considering the bad luck Cleveland has sustained this year, it’s a miracle that the club is currently a game above .500. Reigning Cy Young winner Shane Bieber hasn’t pitched since June, and rising star Triston McKenzie was sent to the IL in the midst of a breakout year. McKenzie did return on Thursday, and recorded another quality start (6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 6 K’s) in a win over Kansas City, but the team is firmly outside of the playoff picture at this point. It’s been tough sledding for a team that was supposed to be built on its strong pitching staff.
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17. New York Mets (69-69)
This Week: @ Miami (3), vs. New York Yankees (3)
This could be the week that ends the New York Mets’ 2021 season. The two teams New York is chasing — Atlanta and Philadelphia — have fairly easy schedules in the coming weeks. The Mets, on the other hand, go on the road to take on Miami — where they’ve struggled all year — before a three-game set with the Yankees. Any sort of struggles this week, and the Mets could find themselves in too big of a hole to dig out of. With only one series remaining against the Braves and Phillies, there isn’t a lot of wiggle room for the struggling Mets as we enter the home stretch.
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16. St. Louis Cardinals (69-67)
This Week: vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (4), vs. Cincinnati (3)
A three-game losing streak at this point of the season severely hurts a Cardinals team that is just 3.5 GB from the final Wild Card spot. To be fair, most teams would struggle to beat the Dodgers and Brewers. St. Louis has hit a rough part of its schedule where it has to face off against some of the best teams in the league. After dropping the series opener against LA, the Cards will have to play three more games versus the juggernaut Dodgers before starting a series with another playoff hopeful in the Reds. To end the year, the Cards get the Mets, Padres, and Brewers (twice). Their only reprieve was supposed to be six games against the Cubs — but Chicago is suddenly one of the hottest teams in all of baseball.
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15. Philadelphia Phillies (71-66)
This Week: @ Milwaukee (3), vs. Colorado (4)
8-2 over their last 10 games, the Phillies are back in the thick of the NL East hunt. Spearheaded by Bryce Harper’s MVP-level of play, Philadelphia has climbed to within 1.5 games of Atlanta atop the East — and are only 2.0 GB of San Diego for the final Wild Card spot. Last week, the Phillies traveled to Washington and swept Harper’s former team. Unfortunately, the club then dropped two-of-three in Miami to end the week. On Monday, Harper and Co. hit six home runs in a 12-0 demolition of the Brewers. Let’s see if Philly can keep the momentum going through the week.
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14. San Diego Padres (73-64)
This Week: vs. Los Angeles Angels (2), @ Los Angeles Dodgers (3)
Despite being just 5-5 over their last 10, the Padres find themselves back in playoff position entering the week. As the Reds have stumbled, San Diego has once again reclaimed the pole position for the National League’s final Wild Card spot. Last week was a successful one for the Pads, as the club won series over the Diamondbacks and Astros. Against Houston, the Padres dropped the opening game at home before bouncing back to win the final two. In the finale, Jake Cronenworth smashed a walk-off homer to send the Astros back to Houston unhappy.
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13. Cincinnati Reds (73-66)
This Week: @ Chicago Cubs (3), @ St. Louis (3)
The Reds have to be kicking themselves. Last week, Cincinnati vaulted into the playoff picture ahead of the Padres. Not only did they gain control of the second Wild Card spot, but the Reds appeared to be ascending as the Padres were stumbling. Now, the Reds find themselves 1.0 GB of the Padres and only 1.0 game ahead of Philadelphia. Cincinnati is 2-7 since August 28 — having lost three-straight series to the Marlins, Cardinals, and Tigers. Another poor performance this week could ultimately doom Cincinnati’s season.
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12. Atlanta Braves (72-64)
This Week: vs. Washington (3), vs. Miami (3)
After a torrid start to August, the Braves have hit a bit of a lull. To start off last week, Atlanta traveled to Los Angeles for a NLCS rematch. Just like the NLCS, Atlanta came up a bit short. The series was very competitive — 5-3, 3-2, 4-3 — but the Braves lost all three games. Following the sweep, the Braves traveled to Coors Field and split a four-game set with the Rockies. The Braves, still atop the NL East, now have a favorable nine-game homestand against the Nationals, Marlins, and Rockies. This is Atlanta’s chance to pull away in the division.
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11. Oakland Athletics (74-63)
This Week: vs. Chicago White Sox (3), vs. Texas (3)
The A’s are in a lot of trouble. Two weeks ago, Oakland was mired in a six-game losing streak. Just when it appeared as if the train was coming off the tracks, the A’s won four-of-five to seemingly get back on track. However, Oakland lived out a nightmare over the weekend. Facing a Toronto club that trailed the A’s by 2.5 games, Oakland dropped all three games — allowing the Jays to vault ahead in the Wild Card race. The first two games were tight. The A’s fell 11-10 and 10-8 — losing the opener on a Marcus Semien walk-off HR. In the finale, Oakland was blanked 8-0. Suddenly, Oakland trails Boston by 3.5 games and is also behind both Toronto and Seattle (0.5 game).
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10. Seattle Mariners (75-63)
This Week: @ Houston (3), vs. Arizona (3)
Seattle is making things interesting. To start last week, the Mariners hosted the Astros for a pivotal three-game series. The playoff hopefuls fell short in Game 1 4-3, but responded in a huge way by shutting out Houston the next two days — 4-0, 1-0 — to win the series. The club took care of business over the weekend, as well. By sweeping the Diamondbacks, Seattle stayed within striking distance of the second Wild Card berth. After a loss Monday in Houston, the Mariners are 3.0 GB of Boston (tied with Toronto) for the second WC, and 3.5 GB of New York for the first WC spot.
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9. Toronto Blue Jays (74-62)
This Week: @ New York Yankees (4), @ Baltimore (4)
The Jays are ALIVE. Winners of eight of their last nine, the Blue Jays have surged up the AL Wild Card standings and are now just 3.0 games behind the Red Sox. Last week, Toronto took two-of-three from the terrible Orioles and swept the A’s in a massive series. Toronto’s bats were on fire against Oakland — scoring 29 runs in three games — and stayed hot Monday in the Bronx. In the first game of a huge four-game series against the Yankees, Toronto’s lineup produced eight more runs. Keeping the bats going against Gerrit Cole will be a tall task, but the Jays won’t be afraid.
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8. Boston Red Sox (79-61)
This Week: vs. Tampa Bay (3), @ Chicago White Sox (3)
On Monday, the Red Sox played one of the sloppiest games you will ever see. Hosting the reigning American League champion Rays, Boston raced out to a 7-1 lead through the 2nd inning. With Chris Sale on the mound, Boston should have been able to waltz its way to a victory. Instead, the team committed four errors en route to an 11-10 loss. In the 4th inning, Nelson Cruz came to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs.
He launched a flyball deep into centerfield and Alex Verdugo lost the ball in the sun — all four runners scored. In the top of the 9th, Austin Meadows hit an inside-the-park HR to tie the game. How did that happen? Because Boston’s corner outfielders didn’t backup Verdugo as he attempted a leaping catch at the centerfield wall. A well-deserved loss.
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7. New York Yankees (78-59)
This Week: vs. Toronto (4), @ New York Mets (3)
The Yankees won 13-straight games…and have now lost 7-of-9. Facing one mediocre team on the road (Angels) and one terrible team at home (Orioles) last week, the Yankees went 2-4. Losing two games on the road to a decent team isn’t a shocker, but losing a series at Yankee Stadium to the Orioles? That is inexcusable. New York needed 11 innings to win its lone game of the series, also. On Monday, the Yankees were trounced by the Jays 8-0 in the first game of a four-game series. If Toronto were to sweep the four-game set, New York’s lead over the Jays would be down to 0.5 games.
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6. Chicago White Sox (79-58)
This Week: @ Oakland (3), vs. Boston (3)
The Sox are happy they don’t have to play Kansas City again in 2021. After dropping two-of-three in Kansas City over the weekend, Chicago ended the season series with a 9-10 record against the Royals. The two losses don’t impact Chicago’s chances of winning the division — the Sox hold a 10-game lead over Cleveland — but it does hurt its playoff positioning. Entering Tuesday, the White Sox have the American League’s third-best record. In order to secure homefield advantage in the first round, the Sox must pass the Astros in the standings. Currently 1.0 GB of Houston, Chicago can’t afford to drop games to non-contending teams like the Royals.
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5. Houston Astros (80-57)
This Week: vs. Seattle (3), vs. Los Angeles Angels (3)
Despite going 2-4 last week, the Astros still maintain a comfortable lead in the AL West. Houston flew West last week for series in Seattle and San Diego. The club lost two-of-three to both the Mariners and Padres. Against the Mariners, Houston was shutout in back-to-back games to end the series. San Diego was also able to limit the ‘Stros in its two wins — outscoring the Astros 14-5 in the final two games of the series.
On Monday, Houston responded in a loud way by hammering Seattle 11-2. Houston isn’t going to catch Tampa Bay for the AL’s best record, but it has a good chance to secure the AL’s No. 2 seed over the next few weeks. After the series against Seattle, Houston won’t face a team with an above-.500 record until September 24.
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4. Milwaukee Brewers (84-55)
This Week: vs. Philadelphia (3), @ Cleveland (3)
If the Brew Crew hope to secure the No. 1 seed in the NL, it’s now or never. Milwaukee greatly improved its chances last week when it traveled to San Francisco and promptly won three-of-four against the NL-leading Giants. Milwaukee’s pitching staff held the Giants in check in its three wins. Before surrendering five runs in the finale, Milwaukee’s staff limited the Giants to five total runs in the first three games. Over the weekend, Milwaukee went 2-1 against the Cardinals. However, Brandon Woodruff was lit up on Monday in an 11-0 loss to the Phillies. Heading into Tuesday’s slate of games, Milwaukee trails San Francisco by 4.5 games and the Dodgers by 3.5 for the NL’s top seed.
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3. Tampa Bay Rays (87-51)
This Week: @ Boston (3), @ Detroit (3)
The Rays extended their lead in the American League East to 8.5 games despite going just 4-3 last week. Tampa has all but secured the AL’s No. 1 seed. As of September 7, the Rays are 6.5 games ahead of Houston in the race for homefield advantage throughout the AL playoffs. Yesterday, Tampa took advantage of some terrible Boston defense to hand the Red Sox a devastating loss. Trailing 7-1 after three innings, the Rays rallied to win 11-10 in 10 innings. Tampa would surely love to cause further harm to Boston’s postseason chances with wins on Tuesday and Wednesday.
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2. Los Angeles Dodgers (87-51)
This Week: @ St. Louis (4), vs. San Diego (3)
In advance of a massive series with the Giants, the Dodgers swept the Braves in a highly-competitive series. As a result, the Dodgers traveled to San Francisco in a tie for the NL West lead. In Game 1, Los Angeles lost on a game-ending error in the 11th inning. The following day, the Dodgers handled the Giants 6-1 to once again tie the division. Unfortunately, Walker Buehler picked a terrible day to have his worst start in months as the Giants chased him from the game after just 3.0 IP — after he allowed six runs on seven hits. Crucially, the Dodgers lost the season series 10-9. If the two teams are tied after 162 games, the Giants would host Game 163 to determine the NL West winner.
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1. San Francisco Giants (88-50)
This Week: @ Colorado (3), @ Chicago Cubs (3)
The Giants went on an emotional rollercoaster last week. With a huge series against the Dodgers looming, San Francisco had to play four games against the National League’s third-best team — the Brewers. The club lost the first three games to Milwaukee before winning the finale. With the Dodgers simultaneously sweeping Atlanta, San Francisco’s division-lead disappeared. However, by winning two-of-three against the Dodgers, the Giants ended the weekend with a 1.0 game advantage. With six games against the Rockies and Cubs scheduled this week, the Giants should be in a similar position at week’s end.
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