The dog days of August are ending and Major League Baseball is entering its stretch run, with the final month of the regular season shaping up around a series of disruptive hot streaks and notable slumps. ESPN asked its MLB experts — Jorge Castillo, Bradford Doolittle, Alden Gonzalez, Buster Olney, Jeff Passan, Jesse Rogers and David Schoenfield — to assess the best and worst of August and identify the storylines to watch heading into September.
Several clubs used August to strengthen postseason positioning. The Boston Red Sox built on a 21-4 July to further solidify their hopes of playing in October, according to ESPN. The Philadelphia Phillies closed the gap in the NL East and bolstered their wild-card prospects, riding a nine-game win streak that included multiple dramatic victories, ESPN’s Jesse Rogers wrote. The Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres also clawed back into wild-card contention over the month.
Individual surges altered team outlooks. Jeff Passan of ESPN highlighted Fernando Tatis Jr.’s power outburst for the Padres, noting nine home runs in August, a sub-20% strikeout rate and a 26.3% chase rate — indicators of improved plate control. San Diego had begun the month amid a 16-4 run; Passan added the Padres face a relatively favorable September schedule that concludes with what could be a series against Arizona for the final National League wild-card spot.
Castillo identified the NL MVP race as a reopened storyline after Pete Crow-Armstrong’s torrid August for the Chicago Cubs. Crow-Armstrong hit 14 homers and posted a 1.098 OPS across 27 games while providing his usual top-tier defense, and he recorded his first career three-homer game late in the month, according to ESPN. Castillo also noted Shohei Ohtani’s return to the mound was postponed.
Buster Olney flagged the Los Angeles Dodgers’ offense as August’s biggest disappointment. Olney reported the Dodgers were tied for 23rd in runs scored and tied for 18th in home runs entering Sunday’s games, with the Cubs nearly doubling their long balls. Olney added that Los Angeles’ lineup struggles make the club’s options — including Ohtani’s role — a pressing consideration, according to ESPN.
