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As we enter September, the Nationals are out of the playoff hunt. However, that does not mean these games are meaningless. There are three players whose future could be shaped by what they do this month. Dylan Crews, Harry Ford and Abimelec Ortiz all need strong finishes to the season to secure a spot on the team in 2027 and beyond.

Dylan Crews is the highest profile example of a player who needs a strong final chapter to the season. So far, Crews’ career has been defined by taking one step forward before taking two steps back. He has had some big moments, but has never been able to follow those up with consistent play.

His walk-off against the Marlins is the perfect example of this. That could have been a real turning point for Crews where he gathered momentum. However, in the three games since that walk-off, Crews is hitless. Honestly, that is the story of his Nationals career.

Dylan Crews walks it off for the @Nationals! pic.twitter.com/7HJC5kicZR

— MLB (@MLB) August 29, 2026

You can see flashes of the talent that made him the number 2 overall pick. However, they are not consistent enough and the end result is not good enough. For the season, Crews is hitting just .216 with a .643 OPS. That is pretty much the hitter he has been his whole MLB career now. In 741 career at bats, Crews is a .213 hitter with a .638 OPS.

Unless he has a strong finish to the season, Crews should not be given the sort of everyday playing time he has gotten this season. James Wood, Daylen Lile and Jacob Young have all proven to be better than him so far. This month is a chance for Crews to finish strong and prove to the club that he belongs.

In July, Crews posted an OPS over .800. If he can do that again in September, it would go a long way for him. However, time is running out for the former LSU star. I could see him being a potential trade chip this offseason as a change of scenery candidate. It could be the best thing for all parties if things don’t get better quickly.

Harry Ford has not had as much time to prove himself in the big leagues as Crews, but he has also had a tough year. When the Nats traded for Ford in the offseason, many people including myself assumed he would quickly establish himself as the Nats starting catcher. However, that has not been the case as Keibert Ruiz has re-established himself while Ford has not shown the power he did last year.

The 23 year old started the year in Rochester and got off to a brutal start. He posted a .531 OPS in April and it was an uphill battle from there. To his credit, Ford got better every month. His OPS was over .800 in both June and July. That earned him a big league call up.

So far in the big leagues, it has been a mixed bag. On the positive side of things, his defense has been about average, which is better than expected. He has also shown off his trademark plate discipline, with a chase rate of just 18.7%. That number is in Juan Soto territory and it is why he is walking over 12% of the time.

Harry Ford has maybe the second best plate discipline I’ve ever seen. He has absolutely no power, but he’ll always have a job in the big leagues as long as he continues to play good defense. I put Soto’s 2021 season for reference of the plate discipline. pic.twitter.com/WeBXiYxefH

— Josh L. (@jowole1216) August 29, 2026

The plate discipline is the only thing propping up his offensive profile right now though. His .697 OPS is not terrible for a rookie, but the lack of slugging is a concern. Ford was seen as having average power before this year, but his quality of contact has fallen off a cliff.

In the big leagues, his average exit velocity is just 83.5 MPH. That is problematic for a player whose contact skills are just average. Right now, there is a lot of blue on his Baseball Savant page. He will need a strong finish to the season in order to establish himself as a full time big leaguer. At the moment, he is closer to Drew Millas than Keibert Ruiz.

I also think this offseason is very important for Ford. He needs to find a way to hit the ball harder and improve his bat speed. The plate discipline is great, but he needs to show more thump to keep pitchers from just pounding the zone.

For Abimelec Ortiz, thump is not the issue. The 24 year old first baseman has big power and bat speed. Those qualities, along with a solid hit tool helped him get off to a fantastic start in the big leagues. He burst onto the scene, hitting 5 homers and batting over .300 in his first 14 games.

Abimelec Ortiz hits HR No. 5

Ortiz in 14 career games:
.316 BA
5 HR
9 RBI
1.070 OPSpic.twitter.com/9zwBoatru7

— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) August 16, 2026

However, Ortiz’s flaws have been brutally exposed lately. Right now he is chasing way too much and not working quality at bats. In the big leagues, Ortiz’s chase rate is 37.4%. That is way too high for a hitter of his profile. It leads to quick outs and causes him to do less damage than he should. 

Ortiz will never be a guy who takes a ton of walks, but he needs to walk more than 5% of the time. In AAA, Ortiz’s swing rate was just 45.6% but that has jumped to 51.4% in the show. This month, Big Abi needs to show an ability to make the proper adjustments if he wants to stick around long term.

After the way he started his career, the 1B job seemed like his to lose. However, he seems to be losing it right now. Ortiz can reclaim that spot if he can bounce back. The talent is there, he just needs to stop swinging so much.

Overall, there are a lot of players who have points to prove this month. Dylan Crews, Harry Ford and Abimelec Ortiz are on the top of the list though. All three are talented, but they need to show that talent more consistently down the stretch.

The Guardians are 6-1 against the Tigers this season. To have a good shot at the playoffs, they’ll need to make that 9-2 or 10-1 by Monday (weather-permitting).

Since August 4th, the Tigers are 29th in MLB in team wRC+ at 85, 19th in baserunning runs above average at -0.7, tenth in Defense at -0.9, ninth in starting pitcher ERA at 3.64 (4.67 FIP), and 26th in bullpen ERA at 4.88 (4.99 FIP).

Since August 4th, the Guardians are 12th in MLB in team wRC+ at 100, 19th in baserunning runs above average at -0.7, eighth in Defense at 1.2, 12th in starting pitcher ERA at 3.92 (4.25 FIP), and eighth in bullpen ERA at 3.28 (3.74 FIP).

Need to get into the Tigers’ pen early and take advantage.

Matchups:

Game One, Friday, 2:10PM ET: Montero RHP 3.24 ERA (3.86 FIP) vs. Allen LHP 3.77 ERA (4.98 FIP)

Game Two, Friday, 7:15PM ET: Sears 6.75 ERA (4.30 FIP) vs. Griffin LHP 3.96 ERA (4.42 FIP)

Game Three, Saturday, 6:10PM ET: Valdez LHP 4.36 ERA (4.24 FIP) vs. Messick LHP 2.46 ERA (3.06 FIP)

Game Four, Sunday, 1:40PM ET: Jobe RHP 4.63 ERA (5.37 FIP) vs. Williams RHP 3.81 ERA (3.58 FIP)

The Tigers have been playing lifeless baseball for a while but don’t be surprised to see them get fired up for this series. They have hit LHP much better than RHP as well lately (though still not particularly well), so Allen, Griffin and Messick will need to be careful.

Over the past month, the Tigers have been led by Hao-Yu Lee at 121 wRC+ and Brett Callahan 107 wRC+. Yep, it’s been bleak. Meanwhile, during that time period, the Guardians have been led by Chase DeLauter 166 wRC+, Angel Martinez 148 wRC+, Steven Kwan 133 wRC+, Patrick Bailey 129 wRC+, Jo Adell 118 wRC+ and Jose Ramirez 101 wRC+.

Today is the day the Guardians have to figure this thing out. This weekend is the series they have to win or sweep to start a run to the playoffs. If they do not, then we will definitively know what kind of team this is.

Diamondbacks News

(Arizona Sports) Diamondbacks’ Corbin Burnes expected to make return vs. Royals

Burnes pitched two 1-2-3 innings for the Reno Aces on Aug. 23 and in a bridge camp game on Thursday. There was discussion of Burnes potentially returning from the injured list for the Diamondbacks’ weekend series against the Houston Astros, but manager Torey Lovullo said Tuesday the organization opted to build him up for one more rehab start to increase his pitch count.

(Burn City Sports) Diamondbacks expected to get Corbin Burnes back during Royals series

The right-hander was previously slated to return to the rotation earlier this season, but a right teres major (shoulder) strain delayed his expected mid-summer return. Now, it appears Burnes is finally ready to rejoin the team at a critical point in Arizona’s season as the Diamondbacks continue to fight for a spot in the postseason.

(SI.com) Ketel Marte Likely to Resume Play in Tough Series vs Astros

The Arizona Diamondbacks are in Houston this weekend to face the Astros for a three-game interleague series at Daikin Park.

The D-backs (74-67) will enter play on Friday, September 4 with a half-game lead over the San Diego Padres for the third and final NL Wild Card spot.

Arizona narrowly avoided a sweep at the hands of the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday with a 1-0 victory in which they used seven pitchers in a shutout bullpen game.

MLB News

(Royals Review) Hook, line, and Wacha: Royals sink Marlins in series finale

Despite falling behind early, the Royals fought back thanks to the arm of Michael Wacha and timely hits by Carter Jensen and Jac Caglianone to win the third and final game of their series against the Miami Marlins, 7-3. The win improves the Royals record to 63-78.

(Yahoo! Sports) Rutschman homers twice in return to Baltimore, and the Red Sox rally for a 6-5 victory

A month after the Orioles traded the three-time All-Star catcher to Boston, Rutschman went deep in the first and sixth innings. He received a standing ovation from the Baltimore crowd before his first-inning drive to right gave the Red Sox a 1-0 lead. Alonso tied it with a sacrifice fly in the bottom half.

(CBS Sports) Best and worst MLB trade deadline moves one month later: Adley Rutschman, Clay Holmes, Luis García Jr., more

With the 2026 Major League Baseball trade deadline exactly one month behind us, it’s time to look back at some of the more notable deals and highlight which headliners have thus far been major successes … or major disappointments. There’s still the month of September left to correct or reinforce these performances thus far, but here’s where things stand one month out. Bad news first, in keeping with therapeutic best practices … 

Good morning everyone and happy Friday!

The Mariners dropped the first game of the Athletics series last night by a 7-4 score as the M’s pitching staff couldn’t quite stem the flow of A’s runs. They’ll get another opportunity to notch a win today with first pitch scheduled for 7:10pm PT.

In Mariners news…

• In case you missed it, right-hander Matt Brash suffered a setback in his rehab from a lat injury. Kate Preusser has the latest on that and other Mariners injury updates.
• Outfielder Connor Joe and right-hander Nolan Kingham cleared waivers and were outrighted to Tacoma.
• Joe Posnanski wonders what the heck is going on in Seattle this season.
• If you’d like to reminisce, the 1998 Turn Ahead the Clock night is available in full on YouTube.

Around the league…

• Twins outfielder Byron Buxton will undergo hip surgery but still hopes to be back in time for the playoff race, should they get that far.
• Andy McCullough at The Athletic checked in on several managers who are on the hot seat as the season draws to a close — including our own Dan Wilson. ($)
• David Schoenfield at ESPN discussed the 12 most disappointing players in 2026.
• The Tigers have been one of the unluckiest teams in recent memory. Jay Jaffe at Fangraphs marveled at the difference between their actual record and Pythagorean record.
• Lindsay Dial explains why a salary cap wouldn’t actually bring competitive balance to baseball.
• Hannah Keyser went to Driveline to learn what it’s actually like to be trained as an athlete at their complex.

Anders’ pick…

• In case you missed it, the Los Angeles Clippers were handed down several punishments for circumventing the salary cap to sign star Kawhi Leonard — an investigation initially launched by podcaster Pablo Torre. Matt Yoder wrote about the importance of unbiased journalism in an era where basically everyone is bought and paid for.
• Ray Ratto at Defector is highly amused by the billionaire class turning on itself over the Clippers scandal.

With a mostly successful series against the Angels behind them, the Yankees had the benefit of a day off on Thursday, before heading down the coast to San Diego. As the American League playoff picture remains clustered, New York was able to make up some free ground in the division, while several other playoff hopefuls duked it out on a busy night of baseball.

Let’s take a look at what went down around the Junior Circuit.

Texas Rangers (70-71) 6, Tampa Bay Rays (83-57) 0

In case the title didn’t spoil anything, the Tampa Bay bats went cold in Texas on Thursday. They managed just three hits in their scoreless effort, as the Rangers earned a good all-around win to crawl closer to .500.

Things were scoreless through three innings in this one, before singles from Justin Foscue and Ezequiel Duran in the fourth and fifth respectively put the Rangers up 2-0. Later on in the fifth, Corey Seager delivered the big blow when he mashed a two-run shot for his 14th homer of the season.

While the bats had built a 4-0 lead, Cal Quantrill was giving it his all on the mound. The veteran right-hander ultimately tossed seven scoreless frames, allowing just a pair of hits while striking out five Tampa Bay hitters.

Quantrill’s efforts, along with a pair of scoreless innings from Jakob Junis and Chase Silseth, kept the Rays out of the run column all night, as they dropped one on the road. For good measure, a triple from Evan Carter and a sacrifice fly from Jake Burger plated the final runs of the night, as Texas cruised to a 6-0 victory. Despite sitting a game under .500, they are still just a half-game out of the final AL wild card spot.

Other Games

Houston Astros (72-69) 6, Chicago White Sox (73-67) 2

It was a busy night in the West, as the Astros maintained their lead with a win as well. After a Jose Altuve two-run homer had them up early, a pair of RBI knocks from the Sox had things squared up after two innings. In the bottom half of the fourth, extra-base hits from Isaac Paredes and Daulton Varsho scored three runs, before a Christian Walker single plated the fourth run of the inning. From that point, both squads were done scoring on the night, as Hunter Brown settled in to his solid six-inning outing, before the Houston ‘pen secured things in the latter portion of this one. With the win, the Astros maintain their two-game lead out west.

Boston Red Sox (76-65) 6, Seattle Mariners (66-75) 5

In an AL East battle, the Red Sox held on for a big win over the O’s in a close affair. Both squads plated a run in the first, before Baltimore jumped ahead in the third inning, with solo home runs coming from Luis Robert Jr. and Pete Alonso. From there, however, the Sox began to chip away. Adley Rutschman swatted his second homer of the game in the sixth (in his return to Baltimore), before Isiah Kiner-Falefa tied the game with a single an inning later. Finally, it was homers from Nick Sogard and Roman Anthony that decided this one, which put Boston up 6-3. The O’s fought hard, including another homer in the ninth that got them to within one run again, but it wouldn’t be enough.

AL Wild Card Rock Fight

Toronto Blue Jays (70-71) 6, Cleveland Guardians (70-70) 3

A four-run fifth inning was the difference-maker for the Jays on Thursday. A two-run double from Nathan Lukes was the big hit in the inning, and was part of his solid night that saw him tally a pair of hits. It was a shaky outing for relative newcomer José Soriano, who gave up three runs in 4.2 innings, but the Jays bullpen kept the game scoreless over the final 4.1 innings. The Guardians stay at three games back in the Central, while Toronto is fully entrenched in the hectic AL wild card picture.

Happy Friday A’s fans!

Last night, the Athletics kicked off a four-game series against their division-rival the Seattle Mariners with a 7-4 victory.

With 21 games remaining, the team’s focus should be on building for next season while trying to avoid the dreaded 100-loss mark. The Athletics have a golden opportunity to play spoiler in upcoming matchups against the Mariners, Cleveland Guardians and Houston Astros, three teams vying for playoff berths. Given how tightly contested the American League West is, how the Mariners and Astros fare against the A’s could help decide who represents the division in the postseason.

When assessing what went wrong, individuals will justifiably single out the pitching staff, which for a second straight season failed to pitch effectively during home games at Sutter Health Park. That resulted in the dismissals of pitching coach Scott Emerson and general manager David Forst, while manager Mark Kotsay remains employed for now.

However, the A’s have enjoyed some positives. Top prospects Henry Bolte, Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, Tommy White and Gage Jump have made their MLB debuts, with Bolte and Jump particularly proving they have the ability to be pivotal pieces of the team’s roster moving forward. Right-hander J.T. Ginn emerged as the most consistent member of the club’s starting rotation, while Hogan Harris and Luis Medina became the most reliable members of the below-average bullpen.

Down on the farm, the Athletics’ top two picks of the 2025 MLB Draft, left-handed pitcher Jamie Arnold and outfielder Devin Taylor, showcased their vast potential in their first professional season. Additionally, fellow left-hander Wei-En-Lin’s Double-A dominance earned him a spot among MLB Pipeline’s Top-100 prospects before he suffered season-ending Tommy-John surgery.

Finally, in the low minors, recent international signing Breyson Guedez put his name on the map with a standout first season in the U.S., while this year’s first-round pick, Drew Burress, began his professional journey with a flourish at Single-A Stockton.

Despite all the losing, there remains hope that improved roster construction and better injury luck could help the Green and Gold return to prominence next season. That is, of course, if there is a season. How many games do you think will be missed because of the looming lockout?

A’s Coverage:

• A’s Outlast Mariners 7-4 in Wild Clash
• A’s Escape Texas With A Win, Beat Rangers 9-2
• A’s Designate José Suarez For Assignment
• White exits with back tightness as A’s injury woes continue
• A’s Rally Too Late in 8-5 Loss to Rangers
• Your 2026 Hacktastic A’s
• Athletics Considering James Click For GM Vacancy
• Get the best of Athletics Nation on the new SB Nation app
• How defensive whiz Clarke’s return will impact A’s
• How A’s catcher Bruce Maxwell brought taking a knee to MLB and what happened afterwards
• A’s Plan to Test Top Pitching Prospect Jamie Arnold at Next Level
• Separating The Wheat From The Chaff Not So Easy
• Amidst The Despair: The Position Player Talent Is There
• What Are The Next Steps For The A’s? ($)
• Where Each A’s Player’s Contract Stands Entering Offseason
• Why Athletics Will Have Scary Offense in 2027
• Red-hot Bolte looking to build on lessons from rookie season
• ’Kid has been grinding’: Butler’s resurgence, leadership fuel A’s
• Underdog Athletics prospect Cole Conn playing like a big dog for Aviators
• Behind the Plate, the A’s Face an Offseason Reckoning
• Why The New GM Needs To “Clean House”
• A Seemingly Rock Bottomless Glass
• MLB Trade Grades: A’s Have Quiet Trade Deadline
• This key change(up) could unlock big success for A’s prospect
• Fustercluck 2026: The Real Reasons For A Disappointing Season

MLB News and Interest:

• MLB players on salary cap, CBA talks, potential lockout, more
• 250 for 250: Top 10 individual seasons
• MLB hot seat: Which managers and execs have jobs on the line this month?
• Rookie of the Year races in AL, NL coming to conclusion as favorites pull away
• Cheers, then TWO homers! Rutschman makes memorable Camden return
• New Rays Owner: Stadium Deal Should Lead To Significant Payroll Increase
• Each team’s hottest pitching prospect right now
• Ranking the 10 most impactful Trade Deadline moves, one month later
• Dodgers get Will Smith, Rushing, Wrobleski back from IL
• Mike Trout on ‘needed’ sale of Angels: It’s a ‘fresh start’
• Angels Notes: Stadium, Trout, Front Office
• Rays, Austin Slater Agree To New Minor League Deal
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

What do you think of this person’s take? If there is a season next year, which pitcher should the A’s target in free agency this offseason to strengthen their rotation?

Next years rotation out of spring training in my eyes going into the offseason:

Guaranteed spot:

Severino
Ginn

Not a guaranteed spot, but almost a guaranteed spot

Jump
Lopez

Fighting for the 5th spot

Perkins
Hoglund
Barnett
Morales

Dark horse

Arnold

Depth

Morris
Estes

— Straight A’s (@StraightAs123) September 3, 2026

Quite the Triple-A introduction for Devin Taylor. His rapid ascent through the minor leagues puts him firmly on the A’s radar as a potential impact call-up next season. Taylor could replace Brent Rooker as the team’s designated hitter, take over one of its corner-outfield spots or even be used as trade bait to acquire a talented pitcher for the Green and Gold.

In just his second Triple-A game, @Athletics No. 7 prospect Devin Taylor has a career day for the @AviatorsLV:
4 H
2 HR
7 RBI
3 R pic.twitter.com/vPH6nqoY0f

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) September 2, 2026

An impressive turnaround for the southpaw.

Jacob Lopez’s last 10 starts:

51.1 IP | 2.28 ERA | 61 K’s | 1.05 WHIP

He’s emerged as a very good arm for the A’s lately! 💪 pic.twitter.com/g366GXl5nB

— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) September 2, 2026

Wood you believe that a pitcher in his first full professional season could strike out 10 in four innings? That’s one way to Gage a prospect’s progress.

Scranton/Wilks-Barre 4, Lehigh Valley 3

The RailRiders walked off the IronPigs on an Oswaldo Cabrera single. Alan Rangel went 5.1 innings with four hits, two runs (one earned), and six K; Kyle Backhus had a blown save, and Kirby Snead took the loss. Gabriel Rincones Jr. was two for four with a double, and Carter Kieboom was two for two with a double after coming in to replace Alex Binelas, removed with an injury, at first base.

Reading 10, Hartford 5

The Fightin Phils had 14 hits on the night against the Yard Goats. Pedro León and Caleb Ricketts had three apiece, Dante Nori, Raylin Heredia, and Aroon Escobar had two each. Bryan Rincon had a rough night (0 for five, three K) in a rough stretch (his fifth consecutive game without a hit). Gage Wood had a whopping 10 strikeouts in just 4 innings, walking two and allowing two runs on four hits.

Hub City 2, Jersey Shore 1

The BlueClaws capitalize both halves of their compound name, but the Spartanburgers don’t. That’s not really important. What is important is turning your hits into runs. Both Hub City and Jersey Shore had six hits, but the Spartanburgers eked one more run out of their half-dozen knocks. Four of those six BlueClaw hits came from the duo of Nathan Humphreys and Daunte Stuart, who had two each; Humphreys also reached base on an HBP. Starter Ryan Dromboski allowed all six Hub City hits and both runs over five innings of work; though one of those runs was unearned thanks to an error from Scott Mudler at first. He struck out five and walked one.

Clearwater 9, Fort Myers 3

In game one of this doubleheader, the Threshers got the better of the Mighty Mussels thanks to a six-run fourth. Eight of the Clearwater nine had hits, with Reece Moroney and Matthew Ferrara having two each; the former also reached twice via the free pass. Tyler Spangler and Jonathan Hogart matched Moroney for walks, and Will Gasparino outdid them by taking three. Starter Sean Youngerman went five inning with three hits, one ER, and three K. Interestingly, all of the Thresher hits were singles; they had to push their baserunners home the old fashioned way (though with the aid of copious free passes and a few HBPs).

Clearwater 6, Fort Myers 5

Clearwater went into the seventh (and final, given the MiLB doubleheader rules) inning down five. They then proceeded to score six. A parade of singles, aided by a walk, a wild pitch, and an error, spelled victory for the Threshers. Jack Hopko’s single to center ended the memorable affair. As in the first game, Reece Moroney and Matthew Ferrara both had two hits. Starter Zuher Yousuf went four innings with five hits, 3 ER, and 4 K, surrendering two homers. Richie Cortese got the win thanks to pitching a hitless inning in the top of the seventh.

The Guardians lost another series yesterday, dropping the finale to the Blue Jays 6-3. Yet, in a weak American League and American League Central, there is still room to hope.

The Tigers come to town today, starting with a doubleheader at 2:10PM and 7:10PM ET today.

Jeff McNerny and I commiserated about this mediocre Guardians team on the Disgusting Baseball Podcast last night.

Around MLB:

The White Sox, Orioles and Mariners lost, and Astros and Rangers won.

Good morning! Roman Anthony has been on fire since finally finishing his rehab assignment. In his five games since returning he has slashed .455/.500/.909 with 2 homers, 2 doubles, and a triple. He is so good that he is somehow 5th on the team in position player bWAR despite being 16th in games played.

But there is one stat he’s lagging behind on this week: he has just 2 RBI, both of which came on his two solo shots.

This raises the question: should the Sox consider batting him somewhere other than leadoff?

On one hand, you don’t want to mess with what’s working. And it goes without saying that a hitter who gets on base as much as he does is exactly what you want at the top of the order. But it is worth considering the obvious fact that production with the bases empty doesn’t help the team as much as production with someone on.

Moreover, the Sox do have a pretty good candidate to take that leadoff spot: Nick Sogard has posted a .368 OBP since returning to the big leagues in late July, with 21 walks and 9 doubles in 34 games. It’s hard not to salivate at the thought of Anthony hitting with Sogard already on second ahead of him.

Talk about the batting order and whatever else you want in this space and, as always, be good to one another.