As the 2016 MLB season winds down to its final month, there’s still plenty of headlines to follow as teams vie for final playoff spots, and players lock up season awards. Here are baseball’s more interesting storylines to watch this September.
The AL East
The AL East has long been one of baseball’s most competitive divisions, and this year is certainly no different. As of writing this, the Toronto Blue Jays are currently atop the division, two games ahead of the second place Boston Red Sox. But the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees lurk not far behind, as Baltimore currently holds the first AL wild card berth, with the Yankees only 3.5 games back of the second wild card. If things stay where they are, three of five AL playoff teams will come from the AL East. The drama will continue to unfold in the last month, where all teams play most of their games within their respective divisions.
AL MVP
As of right now, the AL MVP is up for grabs, much like the AL Cy Young, which I’ll get to soon. But the MVP is looking like a three way race between the Angels’ Mike Trout, Houston’s Jose Altuve, and Boston’s Mookie Betts. Trout’s been just as good as always, as we’ve come to take his dominance of the game for granted. Him being on a team with a 57-74 record though will likely lose him a lot of votes, whereas Altuve and Betts find both their teams in playoff contention.
The three contenders find themselves neck and neck stats wise, with the slight edge going to Betts right now, as he’s batting .322 with 102 runs, 30 homers, 96 RBIs, and 21 steals. But whoever gets hot in the final month will have momentum going into voting, a bigger influence than the MLB cares to admit. It also means it isn’t too late for another player to enter the conversation, such as reigning MVP Josh Donaldson, or the ageless wonder, Big Papi, David Ortiz.
AL Cy Young
Again, the AL Cy Young this year, more so than previous, is very open for grabs. There’s no clear cut winner here. You have baseball’s leaders in wins in Boston’s Rick Porcello, Toronto’s J.A. Happ, and the White Sox’s Chris Sale. You have some of the top strikeout leaders in Detroit’s Justin Verlander, Boston’s David Price, Texas’ Cole Hamels, and Cleveland’s Corey Kluber. (Funny enough, the AL strikeout leader this season is Tampa Bay’s Chris Archer, with 202 Ks, but his win-loss record is an astounding 8-17.) But again, there’s no clear cut winner here, so last month dominance is key here, as well as their teams overall fate come postseason.
NL MVP
The NL MVP is up for grabs. Getting the picture? A lot of awards are being decided in this final month this year. Last year, Bryce Harper and Josh Donaldson cruised to their respective league awards, but this year’s a different story. Bryce Harper has disappointed this season with a .252 average. So who’s up for it this year? Well, Kris Bryant of the Cubs has a whopping 109 runs and 35 homers to go with his .305 average. Washington’s Daniel Murphy still never came back down to earth this season and has a .345 average with 25 homers. The Dodger’s Corey Seager has been quite a story this year, and Arizona’s Paul Goldschmidt and Colorado’s Nolan Arenado are always in the discussion. I’d say Bryant takes the gold here, which is pretty crazy considering he was only a rookie last season (he won last season’s NL Rookie of the Year award).
The NL West Race
Along with the AL East, the NL West is baseball’s closest division. The LA Dodgers are currently atop the division, with the San Francisco Giants just 1.5 games back. And it is an even year, so you can’t count the Giants out at all (the Giants won the World Series in 2010, 2012, and 2014). As of today, the Dodgers and Giants have the same exact run differential (+62), so this final month will be telling in who truly belongs in the postseason.
The NL Wild Card Race
Perhaps more enticing to a bigger crowd, the NL Wild Card race will be a fun one to watch. The Giants hold the first spot by two games, but the second spot is up for grabs with the Cardinals, Pirates, Mets, and Marlins all within striking distance.
Big Papi, David Ortiz
Full disclosure, I’m a Red Sox fan, so my bias is hard to hide, but Ortiz should be a major headline heading into this final month. In Ortiz’s last season, he’s hitting .318 with 31 home runs. So why the heck is he retiring? I guess it’s better to go out on top, but try and watch one of baseball’s most feared hitters while you still can.
