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MLB Playoff Watch: After Dodgers, Mets, Braves, National League gets interesting

By Rowan Kavner
FOX Sports activities MLB Author

With a month and a half to go within the MLB season, the Dodgers, Mets and Braves have established themselves on a stage of their very own. Then the Nationwide League playoff image will get attention-grabbing.

The Dodgers are on a report tempo, sitting comfortably 16 video games forward of their division. The Mets and Braves proceed to vie for the highest spot within the NL East, although a wholesome rotation and a few new additions in New York have helped the previous begin to separate.

Because it stands right this moment, the Mets, Braves and Phillies would all make the playoffs, placing stress on the Cardinals or Brewers to win their division or danger lacking out. St. Louis, Philadelphia, Milwaukee and San Diego all are inside 5 wins of each other and sure battling for 3 playoff spots.

Right here’s a team-by-team take a look at the place the Nationwide League contenders stand.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS

Arrow pointing: Up
General: 79-34
Since Aug. 2 deadline: 9-1
Final week: 4-1
Playoff odds (through FanGraphs): 100%

Sound the alarms. The Dodgers misplaced a sport. 

It hadn’t occurred all month, and it ended a 12-game successful streak that got here one victory wanting matching the longest streak in Los Angeles historical past. The Dodgers are 34-6 of their previous 40 video games, so it is much less a query of if and extra of when the Dodgers will wrap up the division, as they enter this week main the second-place Padres by a commanding 16 video games within the NL West

The Dodgers’ pitching workers has been the very best in baseball, weathering the losses of Walker Buehler (now out for the 12 months) and Clayton Kershaw (on his second injured listing stint) to go 11-1 with a 2.36 ERA this month. Their offense has additionally been the very best in baseball, and so they lead the majors in August particularly with an .872 OPS and 84 runs. Max Muncy is beginning to discover his stroke, a harmful thought when contemplating what the remainder of the lineup has achieved this 12 months. 

The Dodgers’ 11-1 report to start August was the very best begin to a month in franchise historical past.

The Dodgers and Astros lead Ben’s MLB Energy Rankings

The Dodgers and Astros lead Ben's MLB Power Rankings

Ben Verlander breaks down this week’s MLB Energy Rankings, with the Dodgers, Astros and Mets on high within the rankings.

NEW YORK METS

Arrow pointing: Up 
General: 75-40
Since Aug. 2 deadline: 10-2
Final week: 5-1
Playoff odds: 100%

The Mets’ solely loss of their previous 9 video games getting into this week was an extra-inning defeat to the Phillies. Their pitching workers has allowed two runs or fewer in eight straight video games and simply blanked Philadelphia in two straight video games. They’ve received 17 of 20 video games. 

What’s extra, the highest of the Mets rotation appears to be like pretty much as good as any in baseball: Chris Bassitt, Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom have a mixed 7-0 report and 0.94 ERA in August. The Mets’ .361 on-base share this month is the very best in baseball. Jeff McNeil, Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso have regarded like superstars in August. 

Whereas the strikes on the deadline have been extra supportive than substantial, they seem like prudent. Tyler Naquin (1.245 OPS) and Daniel Vogelbach (.949 OPS) have thrived of their new uniforms, and Darin Ruf, in a small pattern, has achieved what he was introduced in to do towards lefties (.846 OPS). A monumental stretch awaits with 4 video games towards the second-place Braves, 4 video games towards the third-place Phillies and a two-game set towards the Yankees.

Mets are World Collection contenders with deGrom, Scherzer and Diaz

Mets are World Series contenders with deGrom, Scherzer and Diaz

Ben Verlander breaks down three causes the New York Mets are a World Collection-caliber crew, beginning with the dominance of their pitching.

ATLANTA BRAVES

Arrow pointing: Up 
General: 70-46
Since Aug. 2 deadline: 7-5
Final week: 6-0 
Playoff odds: 99.4%

The Braves have tallied six straight wins, all towards the Crimson Sox and Marlins. In the event that they hadn’t performed the Mets earlier this month, their August report would look significantly higher; Atlanta is 1-4 towards New York and 7-1 towards each crew different this month. The Braves may have an opportunity to make up floor after they face the Mets once more at dwelling this week, seeking to reduce their 5.5-game division deficit. The Mets have received six of the earlier eight video games between the golf equipment.

Regardless, the Braves are comfortably above the remainder of the pack, sitting six video games forward of the Padres within the wild-card race. The youth motion goes swimmingly in Atlanta. High prospect Vaughn Grissom has regarded each bit the half, beginning his major-league profession 7-for-18 with two homers and a stolen base. The Braves have an NL MVP candidate in Austin Riley and an NL Rookie of the 12 months candidate in Michael Harris, who’s making his case for the award with a 129 OPS+ total and a .357/.400/.667 slash line in August. Ronald Acuña Jr. can be beginning to see his energy numbers leap — he’s slugging .521 in August — and the Braves’ offense is choosing up an Atlanta rotation that sports activities a 4.04 ERA this month. 

Though now not in his regular nearer’s function, Raisel Iglesias did decide up a save already and has supplied an eighth-inning improve. Max Fried’s well being can be one thing to observe after the ace went to the injured listing on account of a concussion on a weird defensive play.               

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

Arrow pointing: Barely up 
General: 63-51
Since Aug. 2 deadline: 8-3
Final week: 3-3
Playoff odds: 75.6%

The Phillies have been rolling. Then, just like the Braves earlier this month, they ran right into a Mets squad extending its lead atop the NL East. The Phillies’ pitching workers has guided them by August. Seranthony Dominguez and new acquisition David Robertson are each 2-for-2 in save alternatives, with no runs allowed this month. Their performances grow to be more and more vital with Corey Knebel touchdown on the injured listing on account of a lat pressure. Whereas Noah Syndergaard has stumbled early in his new digs (4.91 ERA, 1.73 WHIP, six strikeouts in 11 innings by two begins), Aaron Nola and Kyle Gibson each have sub-2.00 ERAs this month to tempo the Phillies’ rotation. 

Philadelphia’s offense bumped into Sandy Alcantara, Scherzer, deGrom and Bassitt in 4 of its previous 5 video games. Consequently, the Phillies head to Cincinnati this week with simply six runs scored of their previous 5 video games. Newcomer Brandon Marsh (6-for-27) remains to be attempting to realize his footing, and Alec Bohm’s large July tempo (1.088 OPS) has decelerated in August (.549 OPS), however Rhys Hoskins has 4 homers in August, and Nick Castellanos has an .806 OPS this month. The offense can be nonetheless lacking some key elements, with Bryce Harper on the comeback path and Kyle Schwarber now coping with a calf concern.

The Phillies have a very good likelihood to make up floor on the NL East leaders this month. If they’ll win their Aug. 19-21 sequence towards the Mets, their different sequence this month are towards the Reds (twice), Pirates and Diamondbacks.

Jacob deGrom, Kyle Tucker, Aaron Choose lead MLB Crew of the Week

Jacob deGrom, Kyle Tucker, Aaron Judge lead MLB Team of the Week

Ben Verlander provides us his newest crew of the week, that includes stars from the Mets, Yankees, Dodgers, Astros, Cardinals and extra.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

Arrow pointing: Barely up 
General: 63-51
Since Aug. 2 deadline: 8-3
Final week: 3-3
Playoff odds: 77.5% 

From a win-loss perspective, every little thing in regards to the Cardinals and Phillies has regarded virtually equivalent the previous couple of weeks. They’re each 63-51 total and 8-3 because the deadline, and so they each went 3-3 final week to snap seven-game successful streaks. The most important distinction has been the best way they’re successful. The Cardinals are mashing in August, boasting the second-best offense in baseball this month, behind solely the Dodgers.

Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt proceed to seem like the 2 greatest gamers within the Nationwide League. They’ve mixed for 10 homers and 24 RBIs by the Cardinals’ first 12 video games this month. Paul DeJong, Nolan Gorman and Lars Nootbaar are offering depth. Albert Pujols has gotten into the motion, too, posting his 63rd profession multi-homer sport on Sunday to tie Willie Mays for fifth all time. Additionally, deadline acquisitions Jordan Montgomery and Jose Quintana have been the Cardinals’ two greatest beginning pitchers this month, permitting a mixed three earned runs by their first 4 begins with their new membership. 

The Cardinals have received 12 of their previous 16 video games, leaping forward of the Brewers in a good division race. They’ve an opportunity so as to add to their slight benefit with sequence towards the Rockies, Diamondbacks and Cubs developing. That is excellent news for them as a result of even with the brand new postseason format, it would take successful the division for any crew from the NL Central to make the playoffs. 

SAN DIEGO PADRES

Arrow pointing: Impartial
General: 65-52
Since Aug. 2 deadline: 5-6
Final week: 4-2
Playoff odds: 83.6%

Manny Machado has carried the Padres’ offense all 12 months. Even after the large deadline additions, he hasn’t stopped. The reigning Nationwide League Participant of the Week went 12-for-28 with seven extra-base hits and a six-game hitting streak to earn the weekly honor.

Over the weekend, Juan Soto additionally grew to become the primary participant since Mike Trout in 2018 to stroll 100 or extra occasions within the first 112 video games of a season. Machado continues to mash, Soto is getting comfy, Trent Grisham is getting scorching (5 homers in August) … and all of it makes the Fernando Tatis Jr. information much more of a damper. The suspension might both provoke or demoralize the Padres from this level ahead, and it’s as much as them how they deal with it. 

The lineup everybody envisioned received’t materialize, the Padres are nonetheless ready for Brandon Drury and Josh Bell to duplicate their pre-Padres type on the plate, and the deficit within the NL West is probably going insurmountable — Sunday marked the primary time since July 26 that the Padres received and the Dodgers misplaced on the identical day — however the Padres’ October hopes stay in play, and sufficient expertise is in place for them to make a run.

After being swept by the Dodgers, the San Diego offense began choosing up the tempo towards the Giants and Nationals. However their rotation might want to get again on observe. San Diego’s starters are 5-6 with a 4.46 ERA in August, regardless of encouraging play lately from Blake Snell (2-1, 1.02 ERA, 27 strikeouts, two walks in three August begins).

What Fernando Tatis Jr.’s PED suspension means for San Diego

What Fernando Tatis Jr.'s PED suspension means for San Diego

Ben Verlander dives into Padres celebrity Fernando Tatis Jr.’s 80-game suspension for testing optimistic for performance-enhancing medication and what this implies for the rest of the Padres’ season.

MILWAUKEE BREWERS

Arrow pointing: Down
General: 61-52
Since Aug. 2 deadline: 4-7
Final week: 3-2
Playoff odds: 59.3%

It’s not completely associated to the Brewers’ resolution to ship Josh Hader to San Diego — he blew his first save alternative with the Padres — however Milwaukee’s bullpen has scuffled because the deadline. Taylor Rogers, acquired in that deal, has allowed 5 earned runs in 3⅔ innings. Matt Bush, one other deadline acquisition, has a 5.06 ERA and 1.50 WHIP by six appearances.

The Brewers are 3-for-6 in save probabilities this month, and their relievers are 2-4 in August with a 4.19 ERA and 1.34 WHIP. It’s removed from the worst in baseball — plus, Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff and Eric Lauer proceed to raise up the rotation — however pitching mediocrity received’t minimize it for a crew that ought to be capable to depend on that a part of the sport to succeed in the postseason.

On the opposite facet, Rowdy Tellez is mashing this month (.281/.395/.688), however the offense as an entire possesses a .220 batting common in August (twenty fourth in MLB). Because it stands right this moment, the Brewers are 1.5 video games behind the Phillies for the ultimate NL playoff spot. And two of their subsequent three sequence are towards the Dodgers, which could make it troublesome to realize floor on the Cardinals within the rapid future. 

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS 

Arrow pointing: Impartial
General: 57-57
Since Aug. 2 deadline: 6-4
Final week: 4-2
Playoff odds: 5.2%

They swept the Pirates and salvaged a spot on this listing, however the Giants sit at .500 after Sunday’s walk-off win. Following their early second-half struggles — they dropped 12 of their first 15 video games out of the All-Star break, together with two four-game sweeps by the Dodgers — their playoff odds look more and more slim. 

Wilmer Flores, Joc Pederson and Thairo Estrada (who hit the walk-off) have been swinging scorching bats, and the deal for J.D. Davis (8-for-26, three homers) appears to be like incredible for the Giants. Logan Webb and Carlos Rodón have pitched nicely this month, and nearer Camilo Doval has held down the ninth inning nicely of late, however getting there was a difficulty. To maintain the playoff hopes alive, issues should shift dramatically for the remainder of a scuffling pitching workers (4.82 ERA this month) and a protection that has been the worst in baseball this season.

The Giants path the Phillies by six video games for the ultimate NL wild-card spot. In addition they sit simply 4 video games forward of the fourth-place Diamondbacks within the NL West.

Rowan Kavner covers the Dodgers and NL West for FOX Sports activities. A proud LSU alumnus, he credit his time as a sportswriter and editor at The Every day Reveille for making ready him for a profession protecting the NFL, NBA and MLB. Previous to becoming a member of FOX, he labored because the Dodgers’ editor of digital and print publications. When not at a stadium or watching sports activities, Rowan enjoys enjoying along with his canine, mountaineering, working, {golfing} and reminiscing in regards to the Mavs’ 2011 championship run. You could find him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.


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