With September quickly approaching, playoff baseball is almost here.
Before the postseason gets underway at the end of the month and into October, the field has to be set.
There's still a few weeks of regular season games to sort things out. Key contenders across MLB are still fighting for division titles and wild-card berths, including powerhouse clubs and some surprise contenders.
Here's a postseason preview, including details on how each team could win the pennant with one player to watch down the stretch (stats accurate through Aug. 26):
The 2025 postseason begins on Tuesday, Sept. 30, for the Game 1 of the four Wild Card Series.
The 2025 World Series will start on Friday, Oct. 24. Here's the full schedule:
Detroit Tigers, 78-56 (AL Central leader)
A player to watch is... Gleyber Torres. In his first year since leaving the New York Yankees, the second baseman got off to a quick start. He was hitting .281 at the All-Star break, but his average has plummeted to .260 -- including a .195 stretch so far in August. His postseason experience will be valuable for the young Tigers.
Toronto Blue Jays, 77-56 (AL East leader)
A player to watch is... Max Scherzer. Yeah, he's still pitching. The 41-year-old Scherzer had an ugly start to his first season in Toronto, but he's quietly turned things around in August. He's gone at least six innings in six straight starts while lowering his ERA from 5.14 (July 22) to 3.82 (Aug. 25). For the Blue Jays to win the AL, they'll need Scherzer to keep their rotation rolling.
Houston Astros, 72-60 (AL West leader)
A player to watch is... Hunter Brown. At 26 years old, Brown has looked like a future Cy Young winner for most of this season. His only struggles came in July, when he posted a 5.54 ERA in five starts. But that appears to be the anomaly, with his consistency in every other month (1.74 ERA combined) outweighing those tough starts. If he's the ace in October, it will cap off a truly dominant season.
Boston Red Sox, 73-60 (first wild card)
A player to watch is... Roman Anthony. Fresh off signing a massive extension, the 21-year-old rookie has continued to rake. After hitting .210 in his first big-league month, Anthony hit .329 in July and .301 in August so far. The power is slowly developing, and his plate discipline is exceptional for a player his age. His home run in the ninth inning of his first game at Yankee Stadium showed he won't be afraid of the big moment.
New York Yankees, 72-60 (second wild card)
A player to watch is... Trent Grisham. The throw-in from the Juan Soto trade has turned out to be a savior for New York. Grisham has a career-best 25 home runs and has raised his average by nearly 60 points compared to last year. Whether he's at the top of the lineup or in the middle of the order, the Yankees need his pop to pair with Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.
Seattle Mariners, 71-62 (third wild card)
A player to watch is... Cal Raleigh. The best power-hitting season by a catcher in history won't go unnoticed. Raleigh is already at 50 home runs before the calendar flips to September. Scoring runs has typically been Seattle's problem when it comes to the postseason -- they'll need Raleigh to help buck that trend in 2025.
Milwaukee Brewers, 83-50 (NL Central leader)
A player to watch is... Quinn Priester. Acquired in an April trade with the Red Sox, the 24-year-old Priester has become a critical starter for the MLB-leading Brewers. He's 11-2 with a 3.44 ERA in 24 appearances (19 starts). It's important to note that Priester has never pitched close to this many innings in his big-league career (128.1 innings this year, previous career-high was 50). How he fares down the stretch could make or break the season.
Philadelphia Phillies, 76-56 (NL East leader)
A player to watch is... Cristopher Sanchez. With ace Zach Wheeler now out for the season, the Phillies' rotation is built around Sanchez. The 28-year-old lefty has a 2.66 ERA in 26 starts, continuing his trend of gradual yearly improvement. The bats in Philly will show up -- Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Co. -- it just comes down to the pitching.
Los Angeles Dodgers, 76-57 (NL West leader)
A player to watch is... Andy Pages. For all the big-money free agents that Los Angeles has signed, it's an unknown second-year outfielder who has steadied the team all year long. Pages has 23 home runs and 75 RBIs while hitting .275. A guy who didn't even appear in a World Series game as a rookie last season, Pages sure looks ready to roll this time around in October.
Chicago Cubs, 76-56 (first wild card)
A player to watch is... Kyle Tucker. It's been a tale of two season for the star outfielder acquired last offseason. Tucker hit .280 before the All-Star break with 17 home runs. Since July 18, he's hitting .204 with four home runs. The impending free agent needs to return to form for the Cubs to be any sort of pennant threat.
San Diego Padres, 75-58 (second wild card)
A player to watch is... Nick Pivetta. This season has been a shocking run for the 32-year-old Pivetta, who signed with San Diego as a free agent last winter. He's posting career-bests in ERA (2.82), wins (13) and WAR (4.7). Some will point to the pitcher-friendly Petco Park, but he'll still be pitching there in October. After a productive 2021 postseason run out of the bullpen with Boston, this is his chance to prove it as a starter.
New York Mets, 71-61 (third wild card)
A player to watch is... Pete Alonso. The Mets' all-time home run leader can truly vault himself into franchise lore with another great postseason run this year. Alonso had four home runs and 10 RBIs last October for the Mets' run to the NLCS. A repeat, with Juan Soto by his side this time, could be enough to send New York back to the World Series for the first time since 2015.
The Rangers sit at 67-67, 4.5 games behind the Mariners for the final wild card spot. Postseason chances are slim, but not impossible if Texas can string together a winning streak in September.
A player to watch is... Jacob deGrom. If the Rangers aren't going to make a postseason run, just enjoy an all-time great on the mound down the stretch. The 2025 season has been remarkable for deGrom, who pitched in just nine games in his first two years with Texas. He's made 25 starts with a 2.79 ERA, showing glimpses of his former Cy Young self. Any start that the 37-year-old righty makes should be appointment viewing.