Baseball’s Tightest Races: nine Key Questions as September Dawns
NEW YORK – With Labor Day passing, baseball’s playoff picture is coming into sharper focus, but crucial questions remain unanswered as teams battle for division titles, Wild Card spots, and individual accolades. here are nine storylines dominating the conversation as September begins:
- Dodgers Dominance: Can the Los Angeles Dodgers maintain their notable form? Pitcher Bobby Miller‘s August performance - 5-0 with a 1.88 ERA – has been pivotal, contributing to his 9-2 record and 3.06 ERA overall. He’s become invaluable to the team’s success.
- Mets’ Helsley Headache: The New York Mets are struggling to integrate reliever Ryan Helsley, acquired from the Cardinals at the trade deadline. Helsley has blown four saves and posted a 10.38 ERA in his first 11 games with the team. Manager Carlos mendoza acknowledged the issue,stating,”We’ve got to look back and see what we’re missing here,because for teams to have agreeable at-bats like that,something’s going on here.”
- Cardinals’ Attendance Dip: A paid crowd of just 17,675 attended a Cardinals game at Busch Stadium,marking the first time the team has drawn fewer than 20,000 fans as 1997.
- No-Hitter Drought: Major League Baseball remains without a no-hitter this season. The last one occurred in 2005, leaving fans wondering if this will be the year the streak ends.
- Guardians’ Power void: The Cleveland Guardians continue to lack a power hitter, with no player projected to reach 40 home runs this season. Travis Hafner was the last Guardian to achieve that feat,in 2006.
- Yankees-Red Sox Rivalry Reduced: The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox will play only three games against each other after June next season, a schedule decision drawing criticism from fans.
- Cherington’s Return to Fenway: Pittsburgh Pirates GM Ben Cherington returned to Fenway Park for the first time as his 2015 firing by the red Sox. He served as a Red Sox executive from 1999-2015, including his final four years as GM.
- Padres’ Laureano Boost: The San Diego Padres’ acquisition of outfielder Ramon Laureano has proven impactful. He’s hitting .316 with six home runs, 20 RBI, and a .968 OPS since joining the team from Baltimore.
- Boyd’s Endurance Question: The Chicago Cubs are monitoring starter Matthew Boyd, who has already thrown a team-leading 153 innings – the most by a Cub in a season since 2019. Boyd posted a 2.34 ERA in the first half, earning an All-Star berth, but his ERA has risen to 4.10 in the second half, raising concerns about fatigue after throwing just 51 innings last season and a combined 146 over the previous three years.