30. Oakland Athletics (38-93)
This Week: @ Seattle, vs. Los Angeles Angels
Believe it or not, the Oakland Athletics had a winning record last week. In a showdown between the league’s two worst teams, it was the A’s who took two-of-three from the Royals. Following that victory, the A’s traveled to Chicago and won back-to-back games over the White Sox — Oakland was 4-1 to start the week. Then, the putrid club lost the final two games in Chicago. The A’s are the first team eliminated from playoff contention.
Image Source: D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports
29. Kansas City Royals (41-91)
This Week: vs. Pittsburgh, vs. Boston
It is never a good sign for a club if it cannot win a series against a team that is more than 50 games below .500. Kansas City came into the season with low expectations, but the year has been far worse than many people imagined. The Royals went 1-2 against a historically-bad Oakland team, and then suffered three losses in Seattle in as many days.
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28. Colorado Rockies (49-81)
This Week: vs. Atlanta, vs. Toronto
The Rockies have the worst record in the National League by a healthy margin. Last week was always going to be a tall task for Colorado as it was faced with a daunting back-to-back (@ Tampa Bay, @ Baltimore). The last-place Rockies were swept by the Rays and went 1-2 in Baltimore. Three of the losses came by one run, and the other defeat was by a score of 5-3.
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27. Chicago White Sox (52-79)
This Week: @ Baltimore, vs. Detroit
Chicago made a few big moves last week. In the midst of yet another disappointing season, VP Ken Williams and GM Rick Hahn were fired by chairman Jerry Reinsdorf. Both Williams and Hahn were with the organization in 2005 when the Sox won the World Series — but the past 18 years have not included a ton of positive moments. This offseason will be massive for the franchise.
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26. St. Louis Cardinals (56-75)
This Week: vs. San Diego, vs. Pittsburgh
This picture sums up the season for the Cardinals. There have been a handful of teams that have massively underperformed in 2023, and St. Louis is certainly one of the biggest offenders. The Red Birds have thrown in the towel in recent weeks. The club is 2-9 over its last 11 games — including a 1-5 mark last week on the road. Of all National League clubs, only the Rockies have a worse record.
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25. Pittsburgh Pirates (58-73)
This Week: @ Kansas City, @ St. Louis
Pittsburgh is looking forward to the 2024 season. The Buccos may not be as far away from competing in the National League Central as some assume. The club has some decent talent on the roster and the farm system is one of the best in baseball. Over the final month of the season, the Pirates will look to build momentum for the ’24 campaign and potentially spoil the season for fellow NL Central rivals looking to reach the postseason.
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24. Detroit Tigers (59-71)
This Week: vs. New York Yankees, @ Chicago White Sox
We are approaching the final month of Miguel Cabrera’s legendary career. The future Hall of Famer hasn’t been himself for quite some time, but it is still nice to see the Detroit icon step into the batter’s box. Cabrera hit his third home run of the season last week — moving him past Gary Sheffield on the all-time home run list. To end the upcoming week, Cabrera will make his final appearance on the Southside of Chicago as the Tigers take on the White Sox.
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23. New York Mets (60-71)
This Week: vs. Texas, vs. Seattle
The New York Mets are in last place in the National League East. It is truly incredible that the team with the highest payroll in baseball is struggling this much. New York lost both of its series last week, dropping two-of-three to the Braves and Angels, respectively. On Sunday, reports emerged stating the Mets will look to trade slugger Pete Alonso in the offseason. Bleak times for the Mets.
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22. San Diego Padres (61-70)
This Week: @ St. Louis, vs. San Francisco
The highlight of San Diego’s week was Manny Machado taking his anger out on a cooler (and other items) with his bat this past Sunday. The Padres are 20.0 GB of the Dodgers in the National League West, and have fallen 8.0 GB of the third and final Wild Card spot. The Dads began their week by winning two-of-three from Miami, but their weekend ended with three-straight losses in Milwaukee. It is only a matter of time before the club throws in the towel.
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21. New York Yankees (62-68)
This Week: @ Detroit, @ Houston
Between the Mets, Padres, and Yankees it is hard to decide who is the biggest disappointment of the 2023 season. All three teams were expected to contend for the World Series. Instead, all three teams will be watching the postseason from home. The Yankees are firmly in the AL East cellar — 6.5 GB of Boston for 4th — and now find themselves 11.0 GB of the final Wild Card spot. New York entered the All-Star break 49-42…it is now 62-68…and 2-12 in its last 14 games.
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20. Washington Nationals (61-70)
This Week: @ Toronto, vs. Miami
This season has been a huge success for the Nationals. Expected to compete for the worst record in baseball, Washington has instead played competitive ball for a majority of the season. The Nats have a better record than the Mets, and share an identical record with the Padres — the same team that they traded superstar Juan Soto to last summer. The upstart Nats have won five series in a row.
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19. Cleveland Guardians (62-69)
This Week: @ Minnesota, vs. Tampa Bay
Cleveland’s fate will likely be determined in the next 10 days. Currently 6.0 GB of the division-leading Twins, the Guardians will play Minnesota six times between August 28-September 6. Those two massive series will sandwich a tough matchup with the Rays. Can Cleveland make things interesting in the AL Central? It’s now or never.
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18. Los Angeles Angels (63-68)
This Week: @ Philadelphia, @ Oakland
The nightmare situation has come to fruition: Shohei Ohtani has a torn UCL. The two-way sensation is not going to pitch for the remainder of the season, but he has remained in the lineup thus far. No decision has been made on whether Ohtani will undergo surgery on his elbow. Let’s hope he can avoid it at all costs.
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17. Miami Marlins (66-65)
This Week: vs. Tampa Bay, @ Washington
The Marlins are fading in a hurry. At one time in a great position to reach the postseason, the Marlins have fallen 3.0 GB of the final Wild Card spot in the National League. Miami has lost four-straight series — Astros, Dodgers, Padres, Nationals — and have a daunting schedule the next few weeks. Take a look at this gauntlet: vs. Rays, @ Nationals, vs. Dodgers, @ Phillies, @ Brewers, vs. Braves.
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16. Cincinnati Reds (68-64)
This Week: @ San Francisco, vs. Chicago Cubs
The Reds should be thankful that they swept the Angels to start last week. Why? Over the weekend, Cincinnati went 1-3 against the Arizona Diamondbacks and now trail the Snakes by 1.5 games for the final playoff spot in the National League. The Reds held leads in the 7th and 8th innings, respectively, in two of the losses to Arizona. This week is huge for the club, as it is set to face two teams currently battling for Wild Card spots. A 5-2 week could go a long way in helping the Reds reach the playoffs.
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15. San Francisco Giants (67-63)
This Week: vs. Cincinnati, @ San Diego
San Francisco is quickly playing itself out of playoff contention. The Giants looked to be a team that could make a run in the second-half, but have played a startling amount of poor baseball recently. Since their last series win on Aug. 3, the Giants are 6-14 and have lost their last seven series. In spite of how bad they’ve played, the Giants are still somehow within striking distance of the Wild Card. San Francisco is just 1.5 GB from the Diamondbacks for the final spot, and 2.0 GB of the Cubs. If they can find their footing, they’ll be right back in it.
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14. Minnesota Twins (68-63)
This Week: vs. Cleveland, @ Texas
The Twins are the division winner that every other American League team will want to face in the postseason. This is a .500 ball club that is only boosted because they play in the weakest division in baseball. Before Sunday’s win over Texas, the Twins were 23-19 against the AL Central and 44-44 against the rest of the league. They did take care of business against the sputtering Rangers, winning three-of-four at home. Still, nobody is afraid of this Twins squad even if they win the AL Central by 8-to-10 games.
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13. Boston Red Sox (69-62)
This Week: vs. Houston, @ Kansas City
It was a disappointing week for the Red Sox coming off a sweep of the Yankees in New York. Boston dropped its first two games to Houston to begin the week, as its wretched defense reared its ugly head again (five errors over both losses). The Red Sox lead the league in errors (90), as mental errors and fielding blunders have plagued this team throughout the year. The Red Sox were able to stay error free in the weekend series versus the Dodgers, but failed to pitch as the staff surrendered 34 hits over three games. Boston still has a puncher’s chance in Wild Card race, but its odds are dwindling by the second.
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12. Arizona Diamondbacks (69-62)
This Week: @ Los Angeles Dodgers, vs. Baltimore
What an odd second-half for the Diamondbacks. After seeing its NL West lead completely evaporate, Arizona went 5-20 in its first 25 games after the All-Star break. Since then, they’ve found themselves again having won 12 of their last 15 games. While a division title is out of reach, the Diamondbacks are firmly in the Wild Card race – currently holding the third spot by 1.5 games over the Reds and division rival Giants. Two first-place teams (Dodgers and Orioles) stand in their way this week.
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11. Chicago Cubs (69-61)
This Week: vs. Milwaukee, @ Cincinnati
The Cubs have looked like a playoff team since the All-Star break. They’ve stood toe-to-toe with the best teams in the league, and have taken care of business versus lesser opponents. Last week was an example of the latter, as Chicago went 5-2 on the road against Detroit and Pittsburgh. The team plated 10 runs in wins on Saturday and Sunday over the Pirates. Though the Brewers have opened up a four-game lead in the Central, the Cubs have a chance to claw back into the division race with a three-game set upcoming versus Milwaukee.
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10. Toronto Blue Jays (71-60)
This Week: vs. Washington, @ Colorado
It’s now or never for the Blue Jays. Toronto’s upcoming schedule is the easiest of any playoff hopeful. While Washington (61-70) has played better as of late, Toronto’s following opponents – Colorado (49-81), Oakland (38-93), and Kansas City (41-91) – own the three-worst records in baseball. The Blue Jays are just 2.5 GB from the Astros and Rangers. Unfortunately, they may have to make their run with Bo Bichette. The star shortstop exited Sunday’s game with quad tightness, and could be headed back to the IL after recently returning just one week ago.
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9. Philadelphia Phillies (72-58)
This Week: vs. Los Angeles Angels, @ Milwaukee
Are the Phillies doing it again? Last season, Philadelphia reached the postseason as a Wild Card team and proceeded to have a magical run to the World Series. This year, with all of the talk in the National League centered on Atlanta and Los Angeles, the Phillies have another chance to sneak under-the-radar and surprise everybody in October. They’re starting to build a nice cushion in the NL Wild Card race, having three more wins than any other team in contention. Trea Turner’s August numbers (.302 AVG, .881 OPS) certainly inspires some confidence after a tumultuous start to the year.
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8. Texas Rangers (73-57)
This Week: @ New York Mets, vs. Minnesota
The Rangers are sputtering, and there appears to be no fix in sight. Texas is 1-9 over its last 10, and have officially squandered its lead in the AL West. They find themselves tied with the Astros — who are both a game back from the first-place Mariners. It’s difficult to say if Texas’ recent downturn is a stretch of poor play or just a string of bad luck. Either way, they don’t look like the team that dominated early on. If they lose this upcoming series against the Mets, there will be plenty of reason to panic about the Rangers’ playoff hopes.
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7. Milwaukee Brewers (73-57)
This Week: @ Chicago Cubs, vs. Philadelphia
Milwaukee is throwing some early daggers in the NL Central race. They picked a good time to have their best stretch of the year. The Brewers current eight-game winning streak is their longest of the season, and they’ve swept four of their last five opponents. Offensively, it seems like this offense has finally hit a groove. After a quiet summer, guys like William Contreras, Willy Adames, and Tyrone Taylor are starting to come alive. Milwaukee has opened up a four-game lead over the Cubs and a six-game lead over the Reds.
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6. Houston Astros (74-58)
This Week: @ Boston, vs. New York Yankees
The Astros could go from defending champions to out of the playoffs in a hurry. Seattle’s surge in the AL West coupled with Houston’s recent erratic play could lead to the 2022 World Series champions being bounced from the playoff picture. The Astros are one game behind the AL West lead, and have a 2.5-game cushion over the Blue Jays in the Wild Card. Houston is 6-8 over its last 14, and have endured a pair of three-game losing streaks over the past two weeks. This week, they play two of their biggest American League rivals in the Red Sox and Yankees. The Astros were lit up for 17 runs against Boston last week, and haven’t won a series against the Red Sox in over two years.
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5. Seattle Mariners (74-56)
This Week: vs. Oakland, @ New York Mets
The Seattle Mariners are the hottest team in the American League. Just over a month ago, the Mariners were 50-50 and sitting in fourth-place in the AL West. Since then, Seattle is an MLB-best 24-6 and stand alone atop its division. How did we get here? Well, the pitching was excellent in August (3.12 ERA, 1.09 WHIP as a team), but Seattle’s offense has really come alive. Cal Raleigh has slugged nine homers in the month, and Teoscar Hernandez (1.050 OPS in August) has had his best stretch as a Mariner. However, nobody has been better than Julio Rodriguez. Last season’s Rookie of the Year is slashing .410/.459/.680 in 22 games this month with six HR and 11 SB. His homer on Sunday (which extended his hitting streak to 12 games) ended up being the difference in a 3-2 win over the Royals.
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4. Tampa Bay Rays (80-52)
This Week: @ Miami, @ Cleveland
Tampa has done what it needed to do to stay in the AL East race. After a sluggish start out of the All-Star break, the Rays are 16-8 over their last 24, and a recent 8-2 stretch now has them within one game of the first-place Orioles. Taking down the Yankees over the weekend had to have been a morale boost for everybody in the Tampa Bay clubhouse. After dropping the first game against Gerrit Cole, the Rays clawed back into the series with a 3-0 shutout in Game 2. Sunday’s finale was a back-and-forth affair, but the Rays scored the final five runs of the game to clinch the set. Next up, a five-game road trip starting in Miami on Tuesday.
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3. Baltimore Orioles (81-49)
This Week: vs. Chicago White Sox, @ Arizona
Baltimore can ill afford any slipups over the last month of the season. With just one game separating them and the second-place Rays, the Orioles will have to be nearly perfect down the stretch to wrap up the AL East title. For now, picking up wins against teams like the Rockies will certainly aid their cause. Baltimore snuck out with a pair of wins over Colorado to start the weekend series, but dropped the final game missing out on a potential sweep. Each game was decided by one run, which is a bit too close for comfort for the Orioles going up against a bottom-feeding team like the Rockies. Three of their next five series will be against teams well outside of the playoff picture – White Sox, Angels, and Cardinals. Baltimore will need to be sharper in those matchups.
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2. Los Angeles Dodgers (80-49)
This Week: vs. Arizona, vs. Atlanta
Mookie Betts’ return to Boston was a success, as the Dodgers took two-of-three from their frequent trade partner over a weekend series at Fenway. Betts registered seven hits in the series, including a home run over the Green Monster in left field in Sunday’s 7-4 win. It’s been one of those years for Betts who is now considered one of the favorites (alongside Ronald Acuna Jr. and teammate Freddie Freeman) to win the National League MVP. A strong September could wrap up the award for any of the potential candidates.
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1. Atlanta Braves (84-45)
This Week: @ Colorado, @ Los Angeles Dodgers
The best team in baseball is back to its winning ways after rallying off 12 victories in a 15-game span. We all know about Atlanta’s juggernaut offense, but it’s been the pitching that has carried the way as of late. After missing the entirety of June and July, Max Fried made his return in early August and has looked excellent. In five starts this month, Fried registered a 3-0 record with 28 strikeouts and three quality starts. The Braves will send their two aces to the mound (Spencer Strider and Fried) for Games 1 and 2 in a potential playoff preview against the Dodgers later this week.
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