Bob Nightengale MLB season final month:
As Labor Day weekend arrives, the 2025 MLB playoff picture is nearly locked in. While September usually brings high-stakes battles for postseason spots, this year’s playoff race feels mostly settled.
Unless the Seattle Mariners completely collapse and allow the Kansas City Royals or Cleveland Guardians to snag the final wild-card berth, the 12 teams currently in position should remain playoff-bound when the postseason begins on September 29.
The only remaining drama lies in playoff seeding and the coveted first-round byes.
Key MLB division battles include the NL West showdown between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, the AL West race with the Houston Astros trying to fend off the Seattle Mariners, and.
the Toronto Blue Jays fending off the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox in the AL East are still open. But no matter the outcome, all these teams appear destined for October baseball.
MLB MVP Races: Aaron Judge vs. Cal Raleigh and Shohei Ohtani vs. Kyle Schwarber
Raleigh leads in home runs and RBIs, while Judge dominates in batting average, slugging percentage, and OPS. Judge (.322 AVG, .663 SLG, 1.105 OPS) is on track to possibly lead the American League in all three categories, a rare feat achieved only twice since 2000.
Cal Raleigh, meanwhile, is chasing history.
He’s already hit the most home runs by a catcher in a single season, is poised to surpass Mickey Mantle’s record for most homers by a switch-hitter (54), and could even challenge Judge’s AL record of 62.
If Raleigh’s Mariners claim the AL West crown, his MVP case becomes even stronger.
Key Questions for MLB in September 2025
Who wins the AL MVP: Judge or Raleigh?
Can Schwarber catch Ohtani in the NL race?
Which teams will secure first-round byes?
Will any division leaders collapse down the stretch?
With playoff spots nearly decided, the MVP races might deliver the biggest drama of September.
With the MLB season heading into its final stretch, several managers face mounting pressure as front offices evaluate their futures. Here’s a look at the biggest names on the MLB manager hot seat in 2025:
Los Angeles Angels: A key player has been sidelined since June 20, and with his contract set to expire after the season, the Angels have yet to decide whether to exercise their club option. Big decisions await in Los Angeles.
Aaron Boone – New York Yankees:
Managing the Yankees always comes with enormous expectations. GM Brian Cashman openly respects Boone, but the Yankees need to make the playoffs to justify keeping him.
Bob Melvin – San Francisco Giants: After committing $250 million to Rafael Devers, the Giants expected contention, not disappointment.
While President of Baseball Operations Buster Posey avoided commenting on Melvin’s future, the Giants have turned a corner, winning six straight heading into Saturday.
Rob Thomson – Philadelphia Phillies: Built for a World Series run, the Phillies won’t settle for just making the postseason. Another early playoff exit could make Thomson the scapegoat—even if it’s not entirely on him.MLB
Rocco Baldelli – Minnesota Twins: Following a massive firesale, the Twins are likely two years away from competing again. Ownership must decide if Baldelli is the right manager to navigate this long rebuild.
Prediction: Expect at least six managerial changes across MLB this offseason.
Mets Rookie Pitchers vs. Phillies: The September Showdown
The New York Mets have injected drama into the NL East race, rattling the Philadelphia Phillies after sweeping them in New York for 10 straight wins at Citi Field.
Key numbers tell the story:
Phillies are 75-50 when not facing the Mets.MLB
Mets stand at 65-60, trailing by 10 games overall.
The two teams face off again September 8–11 at Citizens Bank Park, where the Phillies hold a 12-5 home record against the Mets since 2023.
The Mets are leaning heavily on their rookie pitching staff to stay alive in the postseason hunt, while the Phillies must find a way to compete without injured ace Zack Wheeler—a major blow as October approaches.
The New York Mets can no longer depend on veterans Kodai Senga—who hasn’t pitched six innings since June 6—or Sean Manaea, who has yet to reach that mark all season. Instead, they’re turning to rookies Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong to carry the load, and so far, the gamble is paying off.
McLean stormed onto the scene with a 3-0 record and a 0.89 ERA in his first three starts, a feat matched in Mets history only by Tom Seaver.MLB
Meanwhile, Tong impressed in his debut Friday,
throwing five innings with six strikeouts, allowing just one earned run, and joining Doc Gooden as the only Mets pitchers under age 23 to give up one run or fewer in their big-league debut.
This marks the first time in Mets history that two starting pitchers have won their MLB debut in the same season.
Readmore Magnolia Mornings: August 23, 2025
If McLean and Tong continue to thrive,
the Mets could move Clay Holmes—who has already thrown 142 ⅓ innings, surpassing his previous career-high of 63 ⅔—back into a late-inning bullpen role.MLB
This would give New York a formidable five-man rotation: David Peterson, Senga, McLean, Manaea, and Tong for the playoff stretch.
The era when Tony Gwynn consistently ruled MLB batting titles now feels like a distant memoryFrom 1915 until 1988, no National League batting champ posted an average below .320.
Fast forward to 2025: Freddie Freeman of the Dodgers is the only NL hitter currently batting above .300. The Phillies’ Trea Turner follows at .297, with no one else above .294.MLB
This stands in stark contrast to Gwynn,
who finished his career with a .338 batting average and never hit below .309 after his rookie year in 1982.
During one five-year stretch, he hit at least .353 every season—even in the steroid era against elite pitching.
Yes, today’s pitchers are tougher,
with the league batting average sitting at .246. Still, it would be embarrassing for an NL batting champ to finish below .300.
The only worse record belongs to Carl Yastrzemski, who hit .301 in 1968 when pitching was so dominant MLB lowered the mound height afterward.
Prediction: The NL batting champ will barely top .300, setting a record for the lowest average by a league leader.
Detroit Tigers: Contenders or Pretenders?
On July 9, the Detroit Tigers owned the best record in baseball at 59-34. Since then, they’ve endured a roller-coaster stretch—losing 12 of 13 games, winning 9 of the next 10, and then suffering a shocking sweep by the Athletics in Sacramento.
The Tigers still control the AL Central, but issues have emerged. Their bullpen—anchored by Will Vest, Kyle Finnegan, and Tommy Kahnle—looks vulnerable, and Casey Mize, once sporting a 2.63 ERA through 15 starts, has ballooned to 7.20 ERA in his last eight outings.
Prediction: The Tigers remain a top contender in the AL, but to reach the World Series, their rotation behind Skubal must stabilize.
Can the Toronto Blue Jays Hold Their AL East Lead?
Long labeled as underachievers, the Toronto Blue Jays are finally meeting expectations in 2025. With the Yankees and Red Sox lurking, Toronto must finish strong to secure the AL East crown and avoid a wild-card battle.
