It’s nearly crunch time. The marathon that is Major League Baseball’s regular season is coming to a close. As the calendar flips from the dog days of August to the heightened stakes of September, each and every roster spot carries a little more weight, particularly on teams with postseason ambitions.
This week’s power rankings shine a spotlight on one player from each team who needs to step up his game down the stretch, with a focus on players whose seasons have been uneven to this point, for one reason or another. For playoff hopefuls, these are the players looking to prove they can be counted on as October contributors. For teams outside the postseason picture, these are players looking to solidify their status as pieces of the team’s future.
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30. Colorado Rockies (37-94)
It’s unfair to hold any Rockies pitcher to too high of a standard, considering the circumstances, but as someone who strongly believed in Chase Dollander’s potential as a frontline arm coming out of the 2023 draft, I would greatly appreciate a more encouraging finish to his rookie season than the 6.91 ERA he currently harbors.
29. Chicago White Sox (48-83)
Rookie shortstop Colson Montgomery’s epic power surge in recent weeks has been a thrill to watch but has also come with a boatload of whiffs. Whether Montgomery can stave off some potentially harsh swing-and-miss regression and continue to slug in September could tell us a lot about just how excited we should be about his future entering 2026.
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28. Washington Nationals (53-78)
In his handful of starts since returning from elbow surgery, Cade Cavalli has looked like an impact arm worthy of co-headling a rotation alongside MacKenzie Gore. As Washington pushes forward with a new front office and likely new coaching staff, identifying more no-doubt building blocks on both sides of the ball will be paramount if the Nationals want to be competitive anytime soon. Cavalli seems to fit the bill.
27. Pittsburgh Pirates (57-75)
Pittsburgh boasts a playoff-caliber rotation but a meager offense that barely resembles a team that could be playing in October. With that in mind, any meaningful steps forward in September from homegrown hitters such as Jared Triolo, Henry Davis and Nick Gonzales would be welcome developments for this organization that is starved for run production.
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26. Minnesota Twins (59-72)
It wasn’t that long ago that we were talking about Royce Lewis as a budding superstar, but he has been a comfortably below-average hitter for more than a year now. A lot is going to have to go right up and down the roster for Minnesota to bounce back in 2026 after this year’s dramatic deadline overhaul. Lewis’ ability to rediscover his impact form is pretty high on the list.
25. Athletics (61-72)
The A’s have an astonishing collection of hard-hitting position players who could soon form one of baseball’s best lineups, but run prevention remains a massive struggle for this team. As such, talented young arms such as Luis Morales have the opportunity — and responsibility — to help form a more competent pitching staff worthy of supporting this standout offense.
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24. Miami Marlins (62-69)
Just because Sandy Alcantara wasn’t traded at the deadline doesn’t mean we won’t be talking about him as a candidate to be dealt this winter, and how he looks in September could impact interested organizations’ willingness to pony up the necessary prospect package to pull off such a deal. And even if he isn’t traded this upcoming offseason, Alcantara looking sharper in his final few starts of 2025 could sway our level of optimism for the upstart Fish entering 2026.
23. Baltimore Orioles (60-71)
Kyle Bradish finished fourth in AL Cy Young voting in 2023 and looked fantastic to start 2024 before he went down with an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. He’s scheduled to rejoin Baltimore’s rotation this week and represents the most obvious candidate to restore some much-needed optimism about the Orioles’ rotation plans for 2026, beyond the spectacular, unexpected breakout of left-hander Trevor Rogers.
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22. Los Angeles Angels (62-69)
Of all the young players who make up the offensive core in Anaheim, Logan O’Hoppe’s development is the most pivotal for the Angels, as his ability to impact both sides of the ball — for better or worse — carries more weight than that of any other young hitter. That his bat has backslid for a second season in a row is concerning on its own, but his defensive decline is even more troubling. He’s really talented and only 25 years old, but the production needs to start matching the raw ability sooner rather than later.
21. Atlanta Braves (59-72)
One of the most disappointing non-injury-related subplots of this lost Braves season has been Ozzie Albies’ poor performance at the plate; his 76 wRC+ ranks 151st out of 154 qualified hitters. His $7 million club option for 2026 still seems likely to be picked up, but Albies’ longstanding status as a centerpiece of Atlanta’s position-player group is clearly in jeopardy.
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20. Cleveland Guardians (64-66)
Cleveland ranks 28th in wRC+, which means there is no shortage of non-Jose Ramirez position players who have underperformed. That said, while fixing the offense should be the top priority for this organization, reliever Cade Smith is another key Guardian to watch over the final month. Smith hasn’t been nearly as effective since he assumed the closer role in the wake of Emmanuel Clase’s placement on the restricted list, and it’d be good to see him rattle off some scoreless outings to finish his sophomore season, especially if Clase isn’t coming back anytime soon.
19. San Francisco Giants (63-68)
Incredibly, the Giants have the worst record in MLB since they acquired Rafael Devers, but it’d be unfair to label Devers the primary reason for their skid. There’s evidently a lot wrong with this San Francisco roster, but one troubling development that stands out has been the sharp decline in production from Heliot Ramos. A breakout All-Star in 2024, Ramos appeared to be on track for another stellar season, with 10 homers and a .846 OPS through the end of May, but it has been pretty ugly since then (5 HR, .642 OPS in 72 games). How Ramos finishes should help clarify San Francisco’s corner outfield plans for 2026.
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18. St. Louis Cardinals (65-67)
Can the Cardinals just call up JJ Wetherholt already? Last year’s seventh overall pick has been demolishing the ball in Triple-A and would represent a much-needed jolt of energy and excitement for a fan base that is growing apathetic. A Wetherholt promotion would be small consolation amid another disappointing season for a franchise that isn’t used to being irrelevant in the standings this many years in a row, but it could hint that the near future might be brighter.
17. Arizona Diamondbacks (64-68)
Ineffective pitching has sabotaged this Snakes season despite a terrific offense, and Eduardo Rodriguez’s poor performance (5.67 ERA) is one of the biggest concerns for Arizona moving forward. With $40 million guaranteed to Rodriguez over the next two seasons, it will be crucial for the D-backs to find a way to get the veteran lefty back to a level of competence as part of their daunting quest to improve their pitching for next season.
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16. Tampa Bay Rays (64-67)
With Taylor Walls and Ha-Seong Kim both on the injured list, top prospect Carson Williams was called up last week for his first taste of the big leagues. Williams is a sensational defender at shortstop and has big power, along with a concerning amount of swing-and-miss in his game. It’ll be fun to see what he can show over the final month and if it’s enough to project him as the starting shortstop for next season, even if it seems likely that Kim will pick up his $16 million player option for 2026 coming off an injury-marred campaign.
15. Cincinnati Reds (68-64)
As a rookie in 2023, Matt McLain looked like a worthy co-star alongside Elly De La Cruz, but he has regressed to a troubling degree in 2025. I’m willing to offer McLain a mulligan, considering this is his first year back after he missed an entire season due to shoulder surgery, but it would be nice to see a strong finish provide some evidence that he can be a foundational piece for Cincinnati moving forward.
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14. Texas Rangers (66-67)
It was looking like a lackluster follow-up to a promising rookie season for outfielder Wyatt Langford, but the 23-year-old has quietly been much better since coming off the injured list in early July. While his hot streak might not be enough to propel Texas to a playoff spot amid an otherwise miserable season for the team offensively, Langford’s positive development is critical for the Rangers as they determine what their lineup could and should look like in 2026 and beyond.
13. Kansas City Royals (67-65)
Seth Lugo has an 8.07 ERA in six starts since he signed a two-year, $46 million extension to stay in Kansas City and effectively remove himself from this summer’s trade market. As one of the teams trying to stay relevant on the outskirts of the AL wild-card race, the Royals need their ace to get back on track ASAP, especially with Kris Bubic out for the year and Cole Ragans still on the injured list.
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12. New York Mets (70-61)
At this time a year ago, Sean Manaea was in the midst of a second-half surge as one of New York’s most effective rotation members. The lefty’s second year as a Met has not gone nearly as smoothly. An oblique strain cost Manaea nearly the entire first half, and he has a 5.15 ERA since being activated in July. On a starting staff in dire need of both stability and upside, Manaea needs to find his footing sooner rather than later if New York wants to play deep into October.
11. New York Yankees (71-60)
After missing the first four months of the season due to a lat strain, can reigning AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil show enough in September to leapfrog Will Warren and/or Cam Schlittler on the depth chart? With veteran southpaws Max Fried and Carlos Rodon secure atop New York’s rotation, it’ll be fascinating to see which young right-handers emerge as the best options to take the ball for postseason games, especially if the Yankees are headed for a best-of-three wild-card series.
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10. Seattle Mariners (71-61)
Seattle’s decision to bolster the lineup at the trade deadline rather than reinforcing the bullpen has put immense pressure on 27-year-old right-hander Matt Brash to serve as the high-leverage bridge to All-Star closer Andres Muñoz. Brash has generally been good since he rejoined the bullpen in May following elbow surgery that wiped out his entire 2024, but he hasn’t been quite as dominant as he was before the injury. Lefty Gabe Speier has also been sneaky great, but Brash will be the one manager Dan Wilson calls upon when he needs a big strikeout against the opposing team’s top righty sluggers. That’s a big responsibility for a pitcher still looking to fully rediscover his pre-surgery form.
9. Houston Astros (72-59)
This is a no-brainer: Yordan Alvarez has been a virtual nonfactor for Houston this year but is slated to finally return to the Astros’ lineup with a month to go in the regular season. Does he immediately reassert himself as one of the most terrifying hitters on the planet, or will his hand injury continue to hamper him and limit his impact? The Astros deserve monumental credit for getting this far without Alvarez, but it’s no secret that they are at their best with him starring in the middle of the lineup.
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8. Boston Red Sox (72-60)
Expecting Jarren Duran to repeat his spectacular 2024 campaign was never realistic, but his underwhelming first half was disappointing even relative to more modest expectations. He then got scorching hot in July before a more middling August, so it’s unclear what to expect from him in September. Duran at his best can supercharge Boston’s lineup with a rare power-speed element, but his inconsistency leaves a lot to be desired. We’ll see which version shows up down the stretch.
7. San Diego Padres (74-58)
Luis Arraez is having the worst season of his career, and he has a .272 OBP in August. His superhuman ability to avoid strikeouts (2.7%!!!) is unquestionably a marvel in the modern game, but it’s difficult to argue that uncommon aptitude alone warrants his being San Diego’s No. 2 hitter, as he has been for much of this season. With minimal slug, speed or on-base skills beyond his unbelievable bat-to-ball ability, Arraez should be deployed further down the order. But as long as manager Mike Shildt is committed to keeping him at or near the top, it’ll be on the player to up his performance to ensure the Padres’ lineup is producing to its full potential.
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6. Chicago Cubs (76-55)
For all that has understandably been made about the second-half struggles of Kyle Tucker and Pete Crow-Armstrong, Seiya Suzuki is another key Cubs bat who has been oddly quiet of late. Suzuki has just one home run and a .530 OPS over his past 33 games — a surprising power outage for a slugger of his caliber. The Cubs need Suzuki’s right-handed pop for their offense to fully function, so they’ll have to hope he heats back up soon.
5. Toronto Blue Jays (77-55)
Shane Bieber looked marvelous in his Blue Jays debut, lending immediate optimism that he could single-handedly change the complexion of a playoff series for Toronto upon arrival in October. Bieber is an X-factor on his own down the stretch, but how his presence on the Blue Jays’ staff enables (and/or necessitates) the maneuvering of other pitchers into different roles will also be crucial to monitor over the course of September.
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4. Detroit Tigers (78-55)
While season-ending injuries to Jackson Jobe and Reese Olson necessitated the rotation additions of Charlie Morton and Chris Paddack at the deadline, Jack Flaherty is still the key man in the Tigers’ rotation behind super-ace Tarik Skubal. Flaherty has been racking up whiffs at a well-above-average pace, but run prevention has been a struggle; his 4.87 ERA ranks 49th among 57 qualified starters. Skubal can’t start every game for this team. Flaherty will need to avoid disaster outings like his eight-run clunker vs. Kansas City if Detroit wants to go deep in October.
3. Los Angeles Dodgers (75-57)
Blake Snell sure has looked the part of a $182 million, two-time Cy Young winner since his return from a lengthy stint on the injured list earlier this month. He has been sharp in back-to-back starts against the rival Padres, and before that, he became the only pitcher this season to strike out 10 against the Blue Jays, the team with the lowest strikeout rate in MLB. These stellar regular-season showings have been refreshing to watch, especially for a Dodgers rotation that has dealt with so much uncertainty. But Snell was signed for more than just excellence in August; he’s here to raise L.A.’s ceiling in October. That’s when his impact will be judged the most.
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2. Philadelphia Phillies (76-55)
Zack Wheeler being ruled out for the rest of the season is a devastating and disappointing development for the pitcher and a fascinating plot twist for the first-place Phillies. With three lefties who have shown varying levels of dominance in the rotation in Cristopher Sanchez, Ranger Suarez and Jesus Luzardo, veteran Aaron Nola suddenly looks like the weak link in Philly, given his struggles amid the first injury-marred season of his career. But there’s time left for him to flip the narrative. The first five months of Nola’s regular season could be completely forgiven and forgotten with a strong finish and some big outings in October.
1. Milwaukee Brewers (82-50)
It was a dream start to his big-league career for fireballing rookie Jacob Misiorowski, who seized the attention of the baseball universe over his first five starts en route to an All-Star appearance and a heap of hype entering the second half. But the 23-year-old has notably scuffled in his two starts since coming off the IL following a left tibia contusion, including a messy outing vs. the rival Cubs that manager Pat Murphy flatly deemed “not good enough.” Misiorowski’s supersonic talent is unquestionable, but now it’s about results, and it’s on the young right-hander to dial in his command and pitch deeper into games if he wants to be in the mix to start a playoff game for Milwaukee.
