MLB's August winners and losers are setting the stage for September's stretch run. Teams that caught fire down the stretch separated themselves from the pack, while contenders that cooled off face an uphill climb to October.
The article breaks down which clubs controlled the dog days and which squandered their chances when the heat mattered most. August results typically predict playoff positioning, and this year proved no different. Hot teams got hotter. Cold teams stayed cold.
September brings the real stakes. Wild card races tighten. Division races heat up. Every at-bat counts. Teams that built momentum in August carry that confidence into the final month, while those that stumbled have almost no margin for error.
The piece examines which position players, pitchers, and teams shaped August's narrative and positions readers to know what to watch when the calendar flips. If you've been tracking your team's August performance, you already know whether they're headed to October or heading home.