Baseball

MLB’s Final Week Features Key Players to Watch on Every Team

By Hugo Brennan

MLB’s Final Week Features Key Players to Watch on Every Team

The final six games of the 2026 regular season offer more than a last look at the standings. Division flags, Wild Card spots, batting crowns and postseason rotation plans remain unsettled, while a long list of rookies are using these closing days to make their case for 2027. From Tampa Bay’s MVP push to Philadelphia’s wait on a left shoulder, every clubhouse has somebody worth tracking before Sunday’s finish.

American League races, returns and record chases

  • Blue Jays — Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: Toronto’s 2025 World Series Game 7 run made Guerrero the club’s centerpiece, but his 2026 line has been a surprise. He has only nine home runs and an OPS below .700. The Blue Jays still need their first baseman’s power if they are to find any encouraging finish to a frustrating year.

  • Orioles — Pete Alonso: Baltimore’s faint Wild Card hopes rest heavily on Alonso, who has carried the offense down the stretch. A strong final week could put him among the few Orioles since the franchise moved to Baltimore in 1954 to produce a 40-homer season; only nine players have done it.

  • Rays — Junior Caminero: Tampa Bay has its eyes on a first AL East crown since 2021, and Caminero has become the club’s main event. He leads the American League in homers, is on pace to start all 162 games at third base and has entered the MVP conversation with Yordan Alvarez. His first two career walk-off homers included the shot that clinched Tampa Bay’s postseason berth. Chandler Simpson remains in the hunt for both the AL batting title and stolen-base lead, but Caminero is the force setting the tone for the league’s top club.

  • Red Sox — Garrett Crochet: Crochet has not appeared for Boston since April 25, when a left shoulder injury shut him down. The left-hander is scheduled for at least one live batting-practice session at Fenway Park early in the week, followed by another live session or a simulated game. A regular-season appearance is possible, though not certain. Boston’s real question is whether its ace can become a relief option by the Wild Card round after such a long layoff.

  • Yankees — Cam Schlittler: The 25-year-old Walpole, Mass., native has put together the Yankees’ finest pitching season since Ron Guidry’s 1978 campaign. That championship club set a standard New York would love to revisit for the first time since 2009, and Schlittler has become the pitcher the Yankees trust to lead that October charge.

  • Guardians — José Ramírez: Ramírez has not played at his customary superstar level while managing the effects of June surgery on his left hamate. Still, there are signs of life: he went 8-for-17 over his previous four games, with three doubles, a homer and three RBIs. The 34-year-old will have to manage the hand issue the rest of the season, but Cleveland could use this version of him now.

  • Royals — Carter Jensen: Jensen has moved alongside Bobby Witt Jr. and Jac Caglianone as a building block for Kansas City’s planned 2027 push. The rookie catcher has set franchise first-year marks with 25 home runs and 60 extra-base hits, while also establishing a leadoff record and taking over everyday duty behind Salvador Perez.

  • Tigers — Kevin McGonigle: McGonigle is positioned to close the book on the AL Rookie of the Year race. He is the first rookie since Aaron Judge in 2017, and only the fifth since 1990, to reach base 256 times in a season. His 94 walks exceed his 92 strikeouts, and he joins Ted Williams as the only rookies ever with at least 95 runs, 26 doubles, 17 homers, 70 RBIs and 93 walks. He began Sunday atop AL position players in Baseball-Reference WAR at 6.8.

  • Twins — Emmanuel Rodriguez: Power, patience, speed and defense have all shown up for Rodriguez. Health has been the obstacle throughout his professional climb, but with regular playing time at last, he is one of the young Twins pressing for a permanent place on next year’s roster.

  • White Sox — Munetaka Murakami: Chicago has learned how directly its fortunes can follow Murakami’s bat. Reliever Mike Vasil put it simply: “When he goes, the team goes.” Murakami helped shift the conversation after the White Sox opened 6-13, though he has struggled since August began. His huge three-run first-inning homer powered Thursday’s 3-1 win over Detroit, a reminder of what he can mean if Chicago is to grab an unexpected playoff place.

West Coast clubs weigh October urgency against 2027 auditions

  • Angels — Moisés Ballesteros: The Angels acquired Ballesteros from the Cubs at the Trade Deadline in the deal that sent reliever Ryan Zeferjahn to Chicago. The 22-year-old began slowly but has heated up at the plate in September and has handled both catcher and first base better than expected. A Top 100 prospect entering each of the past two seasons, he could become the left-handed power source the Angels badly need.

  • Astros — Yordan Alvarez: Alvarez still has a Triple Crown path after a slower 35-game stretch from Aug. 3 through Sept. 13, when he hit .242/.380/.383 with three homers. He went deep in two of three games against Kansas City last week and enters the last week leading the AL at .313, while ranking second with 40 homers and 99 RBIs. Shortstop Jeremy Peña’s description fits the Houston assignment: “Yordan is our horse.”

  • Athletics — Henry Bolte: Bolte has delivered on the five-tool promise the A’s saw when they drafted him out of high school in 2022. He is the third rookie in franchise history to post at least 10 homers and 20 steals, and the first since Mitchell Page in 1977. His ceiling remains higher than his current production, giving the Athletics a compelling piece for 2027.

  • Mariners — Michael Arroyo: Seattle’s No. 3 prospect and the No. 42 overall prospect on MLB Pipeline made his debut Sept. 6 but has started only five of the Mariners’ 13 games since. Opportunity, not production, has been the issue: he arrived as a second baseman but has spent more time in left field this year, where Cole Young and Randy Arozarena occupy those two spots. Arroyo remains central to Seattle’s long-range plans, and his final-week role could set the direction for next season.

  • Rangers — Corey Seager: Back trouble put Seager on the injured list twice, and a concussion sent him there once more. He hit .182/.292/.374 while appearing intermittently during the first half, but has looked far more like himself since returning July 31: .285, an .837 OPS and eight homers in 45 games. Texas goes as far as its shortstop carries the lineup.

  • Braves — Robert Suarez: Suarez worked a scoreless inning for Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday, striking out one batter in his rehab outing. The veteran right-handed reliever has not pitched in the Majors since late June, despite carrying a 0.56 ERA when he was shut down. Atlanta hopes to see him in a big league game before the playoffs, but has not committed to activating him before the regular season ends.

  • Marlins — Otto Lopez: The All-Star shortstop needs 15 hits in his final six games to reach 200, which would make him the first Marlin to do so since Luis Arraez in 2023. Lopez is batting .305 and trails Arraez (.313) and Arizona catcher Gabriel Moreno (.307) in the NL batting race. Should he pass both, he would become the fourth batting champion in Marlins history, after Arraez, Dee Strange-Gordon and Hanley Ramirez.

  • Mets — Jonah Tong: Tong spent most of the year in the Minors but returned recently with sharper form. Another steady start could improve his standing entering an expectedly crowded Mets rotation competition next spring. A poor finish would leave the club with more uncertainty.

  • Nationals — James Wood: Wood earned a second All-Star selection before a left oblique strain cost him 27 games. Since coming off the injured list Sept. 2, the 24-year-old has batted .259 with a .698 OPS this month. He will try to make up for lost time over the closing series.

  • Phillies — Jesús Luzardo: Luzardo is eligible to return from the 15-day injured list Sunday after left shoulder inflammation, and he began throwing Sunday. Philadelphia’s concern is not simply whether he appears in the finale. The Wild Card Series begins Sept. 29, and the Phillies must determine whether one of baseball’s best pitchers over recent months can start in that round or help from the bullpen.

National League stars set the table for October and beyond

  • Brewers — Jacob Misiorowski: Misiorowski appears set to take the NL Cy Young Award, and Milwaukee is likely to keep his pitch count modest in his last regular-season start. Even so, the outing matters. The young ace is expected to open the NL Division Series, and one clean, confident tune-up would suit a club whose October hopes still lean heavily on him.

  • Cardinals — Alec Burleson: Jordan Walker’s breakout and Home Run Derby title have drawn plenty of notice, but Burleson has been St. Louis’ RBI machine. His 111 RBIs lead the Majors. No Cardinal has led all of baseball in RBIs since Joe Torre collected 137 in 1971, and none has paced the National League since Albert Pujols drove in 118 in 2010. Burleson’s 61 hits with runners in scoring position are the most by a Cardinal since Brian Jordan had 62 in 1996.

  • Cubs — Pete Crow-Armstrong: Wrigley Field’s “P-C-A” chants have turned into MVP calls for the center fielder. Crow-Armstrong is chasing a place in the 40-homer, 40-steal club, a feat achieved by only six players in MLB history. He also leads the Majors in FanGraphs WAR at 10.5. Chicago will soon need to know whether that regular-season excellence carries into October.

  • Pirates — Konnor Griffin: Two separate injured-list stays erased much of Griffin’s summer, but the former top prospect has taken over at shortstop and in the leadoff spot late in his rookie season. Pittsburgh sees him as both a current contributor and a major part of its future.

  • Reds — Sal Stewart: Stewart has built the sort of year that usually ends with a Rookie of the Year trophy. The 22-year-old is the 14th rookie since 1920 with 30 homers and 100 RBIs; each of the previous nine to accomplish it after the award began in 1947 won Rookie of the Year, most recently Pete Alonso in 2019. Stewart’s 110 RBIs rank second in the Majors. If he catches Burleson, he would become only the third rookie to lead baseball in RBIs since the statistic became official in 1913, joining Ted Williams in 1939 and Walt Dropo in 1950.

  • D-backs — Corbin Carroll: A lower-back issue clearly affected Carroll’s swing, but a couple of rest days have brought a better look at the plate. Arizona knows how dangerous he can be when he gets rolling. If Gabriel Moreno and Nolan Arenado continue swinging well, a revived Carroll gives the D-backs a fighting chance in the final week.

  • Dodgers — Shohei Ohtani: Ohtani reached the 15-day injured list for the first time as a Dodger after right biceps and left knee problems lingered into early September. His pitching season is over, but the expectation is that he will return as a hitter. Whether he gets a few games before the schedule ends or works his swing behind the scenes, his preparation is pivotal.

  • Giants — Bryce Eldridge: Rafael Devers is finished for the season, opening a possible everyday first-base job for Eldridge once the 21-year-old clears concussion protocol. The rookie has improved defensively, but his calling card remains the power, including a 461-foot homer Tuesday at Busch Stadium. San Francisco’s difficulty producing star hitters in recent years makes Eldridge’s raw pop especially encouraging heading into 2027.

  • Padres — Nick Pivetta: Pivetta missed nearly five months with a right elbow flexor strain. His early starts after returning have generally been solid, but San Diego has major October rotation decisions to make. His final outing will help determine whether he can be trusted in a larger postseason role. The Padres would love to see the version of Pivetta who finished sixth in last year’s NL Cy Young voting.

  • Rockies — TJ Rumfield: Rumfield found a clearer path after Colorado acquired him last offseason from the Yankees organization, where he had been blocked. His patient, grinding at-bats — taking walks, spoiling difficult pitches and using the opposite field — fit the offensive identity the Rockies are trying to establish. He has flashed power in bursts, and a full year of big league experience could bring more of it.