The final month of the MLB season is right around the corner. There are still a handful of games left on the schedule, just enough for some clubs to turn their seasons around and punch a ticket to the postseason.
But as the calendar flips, the room for error ceases to exist. For some clubs, if they want to make a run, it has to start right now. Here are the top five teams that have to lock in — before it’s too late.
5. Cincinnati Reds
With all the headlines surrounding the MLB-best Brewers and star-studded Cubs, it’s easy to overlook what the Reds have accomplished in the NL Central. Cincinnati has steadily climbed the ladder and now sits just 1.5 games out of a playoff spot. They’re on the cusp of their first postseason berth since 2020, which ended a seven-year drought.
Their remaining schedule is no easy feat, with imposing matchups against the Dodgers, Padres, and Brewers looming ahead. But the Reds have proven their ability to hang with the best of the best, posting recent series victories over the Cubs and Phillies. And with the way they’re pitching, Cincinnati could run the gauntlet and punch its ticket to October.
4. Seattle Mariners
Maybe Friday night was a sign of things to come for the Mariners, who are eyeing just their third postseason berth of the 21st century. Seattle has had an extremely streaky August; they recently rode an eight-game winning streak to match the Astros atop the AL West — only to follow it up with seven losses in their next eight matchups.
On the heels of a five-game losing streak, the Mariners returned home and secured a much-needed victory over the Athletics — one where Eugenio Suarez hit just his fourth homer since returning to the team. Seattle currently owns the third Wild Card spot, but in a tightly packed AL, they better hope the bats are coming alive at just the right time.
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles has been historically cold for months. The Dodgers stretched their division lead to nine games on July 3, but they’ve gone 17-24 since, one of the MLB’s worst stretches over that span. After a Friday night loss in San Diego, the Dodgers and Padres are knotted up for the division lead.
On the bright side, the Dodgers have a very generous schedule ahead of them. But with the way they’re playing, it might not matter. The club recently got swept by the lowly Angels and rolled into San Diego, fresh off a disheartening four-game split with… the Rockies.
The reigning World Series champs better figure it out — and fast — or risk entering the postseason as the runner-up in a division they’ve won 11 out of the last 12 years.
2. New York Yankees
The Yankees recently got some momentum back, notching a five-game winning streak and surging to the top of the American League Wild Card race. But unfortunately, their road to the postseason runs through their own division — a group they haven’t been able to hang with all season long.
New York’s 16-22 record against AL East opponents translates to a measly 42% winning percentage, their worst mark against any division outside the NL East (6-9, 40%). The club has dropped the first three games of a critical four-game set against the Red Sox in the Bronx, allowing Boston to leapfrog them in the Wild Card standings.
To borrow the tired words of skipper Aaron Boone, it’s all right in front of them. Of the club’s final 25 matchups in September, 13 are against division rivals.
1. New York Mets
The New York Mets truly can’t afford to miss the postseason — not after how much money they spent trying to win the whole thing. Last winter, owner Steve Cohen wrote the fattest check in professional sports history when he signed Juan Soto to a 15-year mega-deal worth over three-quarters of a billion dollars.
The return on investment has been disappointing to say the least, as the Amazins have been anything but. New York is 23-34 since the middle of June — posting fewer wins than the Colorado Rockies in that span (24-35) — and desperately clinging to the third Wild Card spot.
With the talent on that roster, anything is possible. But time is running out for another miracle.
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