7 Players Under The Biggest Microscope For MLB’s Home Stretch

It’s not how you start the season, it’s how you finish. We hear that phrase all the time from baseball players, and it’s most important now to these various stars who have a lot riding on the final month of the regular season. There are multiple players chasing something historic. There’s a long-expected comeback from injury with zero room for a setback. There’s real concern about a four-time MVP going for his fifth award. There’s a sleeping giant who, if he awakens, could completely alter the postseason picture. There’s a veteran pitcher who’s suddenly lost his command and needs it back in order to take his team to glory. Here are seven players under the biggest microscope to perform down the stretch: Rival executives who tried and failed to acquire Rutschman at the trade deadline should be feeling pretty good right now. The three-time All-Star catcher is currently sidelined with a new, different injury than the one he was already rehabbing from when the Red Sox traded for him. Rutchman has been out of the lineup for three straight games with a hyperextended elbow, and though there’s no ligament damage, the Red Sox will have to monitor him throughout the rest of the year. The catcher has already missed two games in Miami, played three out of four against the Yankees, and now completely missed all three games against the Mariners. He’s played in just 15 games since the Red Sox sent a significant portion of their pitching-prospect pipeline to Baltimore on Aug. 3. And when he’s managed to step into the box for Boston, he hasn’t been much help. Rutschman has struggled to find his pop, batting just .170 with one home run, one double and four RBI in 59 plate appearances. All eyes will be on the catcher as he attempts to make a meaningful impact down the stretch. Wheeler seemed to get back on track in his most recent outing against the Angels, but it’s overall been a poor second half for the 36-year-old right-hander. He owns a 6.27 ERA and 1.58 WHIP in eight starts and 37 ⅓ innings pitched since the All-Star break — far and away the worst second-half ERA of his 12-year career. His 26 earned runs allowed in those eight starts have surpassed his 22 earned runs allowed in 15 starts in the first half. All of this comes after he posted a terrific 2.13 ERA in 93 innings pitched in the first half. It’s difficult to pinpoint what’s wrong with Wheeler, who is typically excellent with his command, but has been uncharacteristically walking too many batters of late. He adjusted his arm slot in his last outing, which seemed to help, but he still walked three batters and even drilled Mike Trout. The Phillies need Wheeler to pitch like the ace he’s been since they signed him in 2020, and he has about a handful of starts remaining this month to get back into a groove before October. Philly’s World Series hopes hinge on the strength of their starting rotation, and that begins and ends with Wheeler being dominant. How soon can Judge return to the Yankees’ erratic lineup? Will he look like himself when he’s back? Will he be able to play in right field after missing three-plus months with a fractured rib? These are just some of the questions Yankees fans have been not-so-patiently asking as they await the much-anticipated return of the reigning AL MVP. Unlike the last time Judge missed a significant chunk of the season due to injury in 2023 when he crashed into the Dodger Stadium wall and sprained his big toe, the 2026 Yankees were able to stay near the top of the AL East rankings without their best player. But just because they were able to stay afloat does not mean they can go the distance without a healthy Judge. Judge’s availability and ability to make a big impact as soon as he returns is detrimental to New York attempting to surpass Tampa Bay and win the division. And even beyond September, it’s difficult to imagine the Yankees’ inconsistent offense making a deep playoff run without their superstar slugger. Since June 1, the Bronx Bombers are ranked 25th in the majors in slugging (.390) and runs scored (325), 26th in OPS (.684), 28th in batting average (.226), and 30th in hitting with runners in scoring position (.209). The offensive numbers are ugly, but the Yankees have been able to stay atop the division due to their excellent pitching and the mediocrity in the rest of the AL. That will all change come October, when they’ll need Judge to give them their best shot at breaking their 17-year championship drought. Stunningly, the Blue Jays and their losing record are still very much in the thick of a crowded AL wild card race, and any day Guerrero decides to wake up should catapult them to a postseason spot. Guerrero, last year’s ALCS MVP, has hit just seven home runs this season and none — zero!!! — at home. The complete and total absence of his traditional power is appalling. And yet… he still has time to erase and forget everything that’s happened this season. A strong month of September from Guerrero will help the Blue Jays get scary fast, especially with the lack of clear-cut contenders in the AL. But the waiting has been tiring. His season-long slump throughout Toronto’s high expectations of returning to the World Series has been the biggest detriment to the club’s offensive plans. When the Blue Jays let Bo Bichette walk away in free agency and failed to sign Kyle Tucker, it already seemed like they didn’t have enough pop on offense — and that calculation included Guerrero performing up to his usual standards. Without Guerrero’s slug, it’s almost inconceivable that Toronto has managed to remain within striking distance of a wild-card spot. All they need now is a little push from their six-time All-Star first baseman, and last year’s October magic could be tapping on their door. As long as Ohtani’s knee injury continues to impede him from pitching, there will be concern about how impactful he can actually be for the Dodgers down the stretch. The two-way phenom provides the most value to Los Angeles when he’s putting up otherworldly numbers at the plate, and though he’s been productive as usual this season, he hasn’t been dominant in his superhuman way these past couple of months. After his high-water mark with a 1.091 OPS in June, his numbers dipped to a .887 OPS in July and an even worse .795 OPS in August. So, for now, forget pitching. It sounds like the Dodgers will continue to be cautious with him on the mound, anyway, and he’s no longer built up, since his last start was two months ago. The Dodgers need Ohtani to turn it on offensively this month, and get on a heater before the postseason. They’ve been below average at the plate in the second half, sporting a 95 wRC+ since the All-Star break while ranking 22nd in MLB in runs scored (172). Beyond team needs, Ohtani is still chasing his fifth career MVP and fourth straight. A dominant final month of the regular season could certainly help get him there. PCA is locked in a historic, high-stakes race for the NL MVP award as he carries a surging Cubs team toward October. His monster breakout campaign — which includes leading the majors in WAR (8.3), runs scored (100) and games played (139) — has pushed him to first in the NL in slugging (.569) and OPS (.943). As elite and important as he’s been for the North Siders, he cannot afford to slow down. This final month of the regular season will decide whether he becomes the first Chicago Cubs player to win the MVP since Kris Bryant in 2016. Many expected the 24-year-old centerfielder to come back down to earth after his blistering month of June (1.249 OPS in 26 games). But PCA has been able to hold on and extend his surge at the plate, in large part due to his improved plate discipline. He increased his walk rate from 4.5 percent last year to 11.4 percent this year, building a convincing case that his career year is real and possibly here to stay. He held an OPS above 1.000 in both July and August, and if he can keep it up in September, we can consider the MVP award his to lose. Every at-bat Alvarez takes this month will be heavily monitored as the slugger looks to become the first hitter to win the Triple Crown since Miguel Cabrera did it in 2012. He’s tied with Junior Caminero in home runs with 37. Alvarez’s .316 batting average leads the AL, with Tampa Bay’s Chandler Simpson right behind him, hitting .310. And Alvarez leads the AL with 94 RBI, though Pete Alonso is hovering right behind him with 92 RBI of his own. Alvarez cooled off considerably in August, crushing just two home runs in 27 games last month. No one is blaming him, as he’s been able to stay healthy all year after playing just 48 games last season due to injury, and fatigue tends to settle in during the dog days of the baseball calendar. There’s a reason nobody has achieved the Triple Crown in 14 years. Perhaps the Astros’ pennant race will provide Alvarez with the final push he needs to do it. Houston entered Wednesday with a one-game lead over the Rangers for the AL West division title, and they’re finally over .500.