The Brewers have the best record in MLB (83-50) and a 6 1\/2-game lead over the Cubs in the NL Central. They are a complete team in terms of pitching, hitting and fielding. They have the reigning executive of the year (general manager Matt Arnold) guiding the front office and the front-runner for NL manager of the year (Pat Murphy) leading the team.<\/p>\n
They are second in the majors, behind the Dodgers, in runs scored, and second to the Rays in stolen bases. Their pitching staff ranks third in ERA. As a team, they are fifth in Defensive Runs Saved. They have three No. 1-type starters in Freddy Peralta, Brandon Woodruff and Jacob Misiorowski, along with an impact closer in Trevor Megill. Offensively, they are led by veteran Christian Yelich and young budding stars such as outfielder Jackson Chourio, catcher William Contreras and Gold Glove second baseman Brice Turang.<\/p>\n
They are a team with few flaws or concerns, but if you had to nitpick, it would be the lack of overall power as they rank 19th in MLB in home runs and 19th in isolated power<\/a>. We\u2019ve seen the importance of home runs in the postseason in recent years, and this is a team that most of the time doesn\u2019t win games with the long ball.<\/p>\n 2. Philadelphia Phillies \u2014 life after Zack Wheeler<\/strong><\/p>\n The Phillies now know that they\u2019ve lost Wheeler for the season<\/a> due to venous thoracic outlet syndrome, a huge blow to a team that\u2019s well-positioned to get back to the World Series. However, if there is one team that can overcome the loss of a pitcher like Wheeler, it\u2019s the Phillies. Cristopher S\u00e1nchez has developed into an ace and now profiles as their Game 1 starter, followed by some combination of Ranger Su\u00e1rez, Aaron Nola (who has made just two starts since returning from the injured list for a sprained ankle and cracked rib), Jes\u00fas Luzardo and, potentially, Taijuan Walker; that\u2019s a formidable rotation even without Wheeler. The Phillies also have top prospect Andrew Painter waiting in the wings in Triple A, although he has not pitched to expectations this season<\/a>, his first since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023.<\/p>\n Concern over the loss of Wheeler has less to do with the regular season \u2014 the Phillies are five games up on the Mets and heavily favored to win the NL East \u2014 but being without him in the postseason, where he\u2019s been dominant (2.18 ERA over 12 appearances), will be much harder to overcome. The Phillies\u2019 rotation is now lefty-heavy with S\u00e1nchez, Su\u00e1rez and Luzardo as arguably their top three current starters, so Nola returning to form<\/a> would give them a proven righty and better balance for a postseason run.<\/p>\n 3. Los Angeles Dodgers \u2014 the bullpen<\/strong> Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia suffered an oblique strain and was placed on the IL. (Luke Hales \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n The Dodgers lead MLB in runs scored and are second in home runs. Their lineup boasts three future Hall of Famers<\/a>: Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts. Their catcher, Will Smith, has a .403 on-base percentage and 16 home runs, while their center fielder, Andy Pages, has 23 homers and 75 RBIs. Their lineup and bench are deep. Their defense in right field is a concern<\/a>, but if they move some players around, that\u2019s an easy fix.<\/p>\n The pitching side is another story. The Dodgers\u2019 staff ranks just 18th in ERA and 14th in batting average against. However, their starting pitching behind Yoshinobu Yamamoto is finally getting healthy. (Yamamoto is the only starter on their active roster with more than 17 starts.) Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow have returned from the injured list but have won a combined four games this season. Clayton Kershaw has been their second-best starter, going 9-2 with a 3.06 ERA, while Ohtani (4.61 ERA over 10 starts) has not looked like the ace he was prior to Tommy John surgery. Meanwhile, Roki Sasaki is still working back from a shoulder injury. That said, their rotation should be fine if Yamamoto, Snell, Glasnow and Kershaw stay healthy the rest of the way.<\/p>\n That leaves their depleted bullpen as the Dodgers\u2019 biggest concern, though they recently activated Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates from the IL. Tuesday, they placed reliever Alex Vesia (2.75 ERA in 59 games) on the IL with an oblique injury; he joined a host of other injured relievers. On the season, the Dodgers\u2019 bullpen ranks 20th in ERA and 22nd in WHIP, and the group has 21 blown saves. When you compare their pen to those of NL contenders such as the Padres, Phillies, Cubs, Brewers and Mets, it looks to be at the bottom. If there is an Achilles\u2019 heel for this Dodgers team in October, it will likely be the bullpen.<\/p>\n 4. Chicago Cubs \u2014 Kyle Tucker\u2019s summer slump<\/strong><\/p>\n Kyle Tucker was one of the best players in baseball from March through June, hitting five homers in March\/April and five in both May and June, while posting a .395 on-base percentage and a .932 OPS in that span. However, he suffered a hairline fracture in his right hand in June and then hit just .218 with one home run in July and was homerless in August until this past weekend, when he belted three in two days.<\/p>\n Tucker was the aircraft carrier of the Cubs during the first three months of the season, taking pressure off everyone else as he starred in the field, on the bases and at the plate, performing like a top-10 player in the sport \u2014 one who could land a $500 to $600 million contract this offseason in free agency.<\/p>\n However, the two-month long slump was wearing on him, mentally and physically, until he got a break last week and sat for three consecutive games. It looks like the rest helped, as Tucker had hit .295\/.355\/.630 over his last seven games entering Tuesday.<\/p>\n Can he keep it up? The Cubs need Tucker at his best if they\u2019re going to close the season strong and have success in October.<\/p>\n 5. San Diego Padres \u2014 the rotation<\/strong><\/p>\n The Padres had a strong trade deadline, solving a significant issue by lengthening their lineup with the acquisitions of outfielder Ram\u00f3n Laureano, DH\/1B Ryan O\u2019Hearn and catcher Freddy Fermin. They also added flamethrower Mason Miller, which strengthened the bullpen, arguably the best part of this team, as he joined closer Robert Suarez for the highest leverage situations. With All-Stars Jason Adam and Adrian Morejon setting up that backend duo, and Jeremiah Estrada, David Morgan and Wandy Peralta providing valuable depth, the Padres have the deepest bullpen of any potential postseason team.<\/p>\n Offensively, they have a strong core led by Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill and Xander Bogaerts.<\/p>\n However, their main concern is the starting pitching. Michael King (left knee inflammation) is on the IL and has started only 11 games this season, Dylan Cease is carrying a 4.82 ERA, and Joe Musgrove hasn\u2019t thrown a pitch this season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery.<\/p>\n Nick Pivetta has been the ace of the staff, Yu Darvish is off the IL but inconsistent, and Randy Vasquez is still developing. None of their starters besides Pivetta and Cease have five wins and only Pivetta, Cease and Vazquez have pitched 80 innings this season.<\/p>\n The Padres will go as far as their starting pitching can take them, but it\u2019s a huge concern down the stretch and into the playoffs.<\/p>\n 6. New York Mets \u2013 the bridge to Edwin D\u00edaz<\/strong> Ryan Helsley has a 10.38 ERA in 11 games since being traded to the Mets. (Dustin Satloff \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n The Mets need their bridge to D\u00edaz, their closer, to be solid the rest of the way. They have the talent to do it, but their relievers haven\u2019t executed in the sixth to eighth innings over the past month.<\/p>\n The promotion of rookie Nolan McLean has given the Mets hope that their rotation will get the job done in the coming weeks, as adding the righty to Kodai Senga, David Peterson, Sean Manaea and Clay Holmes gives them a solid five-man unit. Offensively, Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto and Pete Alonso will continue to carry them, but it also looks like Mark Vientos (.951 OPS in August) is primed for another strong September and October, which would be huge.<\/p>\n Now it\u2019s up to the newly acquired Ryan Helsley, Gregory Soto and Tyler Rogers, along with Reed Garrett, Brooks Raley and Ryne Stanek to get the job done setting up D\u00edaz. If that happens, the Mets will hold off the Reds and return to October baseball as at least a wild-card team.<\/p>\n 7. Cincinnati Reds \u2014 they haven\u2019t played clean games<\/strong><\/p>\n The Reds\u2019 rotation ranks fourth in the NL in ERA (3.79), tied with the Cubs and behind the Brewers, Phillies and Mets. Their top four starters (Hunter Greene, Andrew Abbott, Nick Lodolo, Brady Singer) can keep the Reds in the playoff hunt until the end. Their offense, led by shortstop Elly De La Cruz and Noelvi Marte, is seventh in the NL in runs scored. They have not gotten the offense they\u2019ve needed from second baseman Matt McLain nor any of the infield or outfield corners, but most nights, they score enough runs for their pitching staff.<\/p>\n However, this team often gives opponents an extra out or two by not making the plays it should, throwing to the wrong base or making base-running blunders. Sometimes the Reds don\u2019t turn a double play when they should, or they try for an extra base when they shouldn\u2019t. Every game, there seems to be something that they could have done better.<\/p>\n Given the Reds\u2019 offensive and defensive weaknesses, manager Terry Francona has worked wonders with this team. However, they have to stop beating themselves. If they play clean baseball, they\u2019ll give themselves a better chance of winning every night and also significantly boost their playoff chances.<\/p>\n American League1. Detroit Tigers \u2014 not getting ahead of themselves despite their lead<\/strong><\/p>\n The Tigers have the best record in the American League (78-56) and a comfortable 9 1\/2-game lead in the AL Central. They have nine hitters who have reached double-digit home runs before the end of August. They have a strong veteran staff led by reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, who is followed by Jack Flaherty, Charlie Morton and Casey Mize. They have a strong back of the bullpen led by Will Vest, Kyle Finnegan and Tommy Kahnle, and their offense is led by star outfielder Riley Greene.<\/p>\n The chief concern they have now is not to get ahead of themselves. Yes, it\u2019s a cliche, but they have to take it one game at a time until they clinch the division title and potentially homefield advantage through the LCS. They have to be careful not to look ahead to the playoffs. If they keep that approach, they should clinch the Central sometime in mid-September, which would give them plenty of time to set up their postseason roster and ensure their bullpen is well rested and their position players are primed for October.<\/p>\n 2. Toronto Blue Jays \u2014 bullpen depth<\/strong><\/p>\n The Blue Jays are heavily favored to hold on to their lead in the AL East thanks to a strong rotation led by newly acquired ace Shane Bieber plus Kevin Gausman, Jos\u00e9 Berr\u00edos, Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer. Their offense is deep and strong, led by star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., shortstop Bo Bichette and the resurgent George Springer. They\u2019ve also gotten significant production from catcher Alejandro Kirk, third baseman Ernie Clement and infielder\/outfielder Addison Barger.<\/p>\n Therefore, their key question mark down the stretch has to be the bullpen, even though it looks pretty solid on paper with Jeff Hoffman converting 28 of 35 save opportunities, along with trade deadline pickup Seranthony Dom\u00ednguez and the consistent Brendon Little. However, a couple of their relievers recently have sprung a leak with Louis Varland posting a 9.00 ERA over his last seven appearances (compared to a 2.75 mark overall) and Yariel Rodr\u00edguez logging a 6.00 ERA over his last seven outings (3.38 ERA overall).<\/p>\n There are not a lot of concerns for the Blue Jays right now, but if you had to pinpoint one, until they figure it out, it\u2019s the bullpen depth.<\/p>\n 3. Houston Astros \u2014 staying healthy<\/strong> The Astros finally got Yordan Alvarez back after a lengthy absence. They can\u2019t afford another major injury. (Alex Slitz \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n I know we could say this about all of the contending teams; staying healthy is always going to be a big concern for any club.<\/p>\n However, it seems even more important for the Astros. They played without their best hitter, Yordan Alvarez, for most of the season; were without shortstop Jeremy Pe\u00f1a for over a month; lost third baseman Isaac Paredes to a hamstring strain; have seen most of their rotation hit the IL at various points; and now their closer, Josh Hader, is out for at least the rest of the regular season.<\/p>\n My goodness. How are they still in first place?<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2229118032-scaled.jpg\")
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