September predictions: best record, playoff race and more
What teams and players will dominate September? Our experts make their predictions for the final stretch
Welcome to September! Five months after the 2025 season of the major baseball leagues, several aspects seem to be determined, from some divisions to some contests for awards, but there is still a lot of suspense when entering the final stretch.
Which of the current contenders will reach the playoffs? How will the most at odds divisional contests develop? What teams will go directly to the first round? And how many games will the red rockies lose?
To analyze what could hold the last month of the regular season, we ask 16 baseball experts of AM850 Some of the most important sport questions, covering September and beyond, and that will explain their answers. We also ask them to make risky predictions about what will happen in the final stretch.
Let’s start!
What team will end with the best baseball record?
Milwaukee Brewers: 14
Detroit Tigers: 1,
Los Angeles Dodgers: 1
What makes Breweers the favorites to ensure the best record of the big leagues? In addition to the advantage that Brewers has built when entering the last month of the regular season, nothing suggests a fall. They are on their way to winning about 100 games and their racing differential supports that rhythm. The remaining calendar is favorable. And Milwaukee production comes from all positions and categories. It is a really complete team. – Bradford Doolittle
How many of the 12 projected teams for the playoffs will be in that instance?
All 12: 15
11: 1
Royals is eliminating Mariners from the playoffs, why do you think that will happen? Kansas City Royals will arrive at the playoffs. A madness? Not so much. They have played very well in July and August. Vinnie Pasquantino is connecting homers, Bobby Witt Jr. is on a roll and the players who incorporated into the deadline for changes have contributed to making it a good offensive. Royals also have a quite easy calendar for the rest of the road. But which team can you reach?
It could depend on a series of three games at home against Seattle in mid -September. The Mariners have a recent history to stay at the doors of the postseason, including last year, when Royals secured a wildcard with 86 victories and Mariners won 85 (Seattle wasted an 8-0 advantage against Kansas City in June, which became evident at the end of the season). Seattle has had problems as a visitor, so the aforementioned series can catapult the Royals back to the postseason. – David Schoenfield
Who will be the qualified number 1 of the American League: Toronto or Detroit?
Detroit Tigers: 14
Toronto Blue Jays: 2
Tigers was the clearest choice. Why did you choose it? For me, this was mainly a calendar decision. According to the classification, it is likely that the first qualified is Tigers or Blue Jays, with Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners at a reasonable distance. Toronto does not have an easy series. The Detroit calendar is not so rigorous. In such a fierce contest, with such similar equipment in talent and production, small details such as luck in the calendar usually determine the result. – Jeff Passan
You were one of the two voters who chose Blue Jays. Why do you think they will overcome Detroit? Tigers have a wonderful story, but not so much from the spring of the stars, since they have played .500, they have had difficulty scoring races and their effectiveness is among the 10 worst of baseball. Blue Jays are at their best, scoring many races, and Max Scherzer and Shane Bieber make the rotation formidable. Frankly, the three candidates east of the American league are better than current tigers, and that should be reflected in the final standing. – Eric Karabell
Assuming that Brewers get one, who will keep the second bye in the National League?
Los Angeles Dodgers: 9
Philadelphia Phillies: 5
San Diego Padres: 2
Despite dealing with the bad streak of its star players and a mountain of injuries this season, Dodgers is still the light favorite for second place in a national league full of talent, explains why? Because those are the reasons why Dodgers firmly believes that his best baseball is yet to come. His bullpen will soon be complete, as he has been throughout the season. The same can be said of the lineup. The rotation is already, and the group of four players that will form in October will be intimidating if the openers remain healthy.
It is a great unknown, considering the pitching ailments that have affected them in the last two years. But, in the end, Dodgers have the greatest depth and talent in sport. They feel as if they are really demonstrating it. – Alden González
Phillies also received a good amount of votes. What makes them your choice? It seems to be unnoticed by a team that has spent most of the season with a rhythm of 95 victories. Perhaps it is Zack Wheeler’s injury, perhaps his difficulties against the New York Mets, or perhaps it is simply what we have become accustomed to seeing of Philadelphia in recent seasons.
But there is much to stand out in the last month and also in October. Even without Wheeler, the Phillies have the best starter in game 1 of any national league contender in Cristopher Sánchez. Kyle Schwarber has a real opportunity to match the home run of the Ryan Howard franchise (58). They acquired the best reliever on the deadline, Jhoan Durán, and filled their greatest emptiness by acquiring gardener Harrison Bader. Ah, and currently occupy second place in the National League, with an advantage of a game and a half over Dodgers. – They give mullen
Will Dodgers or parents win the west division of the National League?
Los Angeles Dodgers: 13
San Diego Padres: 3
Dodgers was an indisputable favorite to win the division. Why and how do you think San Diego can overcome Los Angeles? More than any other team, I think Dodgers analyzes its seasons from a global perspective, instead of succumbing to the concerns of the moment. They demonstrate it every year with their management of launch injuries: basically, they give rest to veteran openers during long sections of the season, instead of pressing them in May and June, to ensure that players are relatively frequent in October. That is why we have seen such a deliberate rhythm with Shohei Ohtani.
That is why I believe that parents will end up winning the division. They reinforced their bullpen with Mason Miller on the deadline for changes, and since then, it seems that they have been playing a series of seventh games. And, let’s be honest, San Diego is determined to win right now, with his roster full of elite players and players like Dylan Cease and Michael King who will become free agents in autumn. Dodgers, on the other hand, will not face the demand in September in the same way. Regardless of how their division develops, they will arrive at the playoffs and will have the opportunity to repeat as winners of the World Series, while it seems that San Diego will give everything in the final stretch to win the west division of the National League.
Different pressures, different styles, different context. – Buster Olney
Who will win the west division of the American League?
Houston Astros: 8
Seattle Marineros: 8
Argues in favor of stars: Betting on Houston to win the West is not risking much: they are currently first, they just recovered to the toleter Yordan Álvarez from an injury and simply have more pedigree than Seattle. Mariners have a little easier calendar for the rest of the way, but their problems away from home are serious and will probably prevent them from having a long streak. Betting against Astros would be a decision that I would not highlight. They are the division champions once again. – Jesse Rogers
Argues in favor of Mariners: Mariners is not playing their best baseball, but they are already healthy stone shot in the division at the beginning of September. Its opening rotation is elite. Bullpen and offensive should be better. Meanwhile, Astros recently recovered Yordan Álvarez from an injury, but they do not have Josh Hader or Isaac Paredes, among others. The division could be defined in the series of three games between the two rivals at the end of September. – Jorge Castillo
How many games will you lose rockies?
119: 1
118: 3
117: 1
116: 3
115: 3
114: 3
113: 1
112: 1
We received a wide range of answers to this question, but you were one of the three to mention 118 losses, our second highest total. Why this prediction? Rockies is close to reaching a modern record of defeats, and has had especially bad performance against the current 12 teams in the postseason: 9-50 (.153). 13 of their last 24 commitments against that group play, at a time when more and more young and less experienced players depend. Your September will not be pleasant. – Tristan cockcroft
Make a risky prediction for the final stretch
Tim Kurkjian: The Seattle Mariners receiver, Cal Raleigh, will end the season with 60 homers.
Matt Marrone: With most of the definite playoffs, except for the last minute fight for positions, all eyes will be placed in Mariners in the last days of the season, while Raleigh establishes a new home run record in the American League.
Kiley McDaniel: Between batting and pitching, Shohei Ohtani surpasses Raleigh in War Total.
Passan: The first Athletics base, Nick Kurtz, will end in the top five in the vote to the most valuable player in the American League.
Karabell: Phillies summon the star leaflet Andrew Painr on September 7, who ends with a 3-0 mark and an effectiveness of 1.50.
Mullen: Nolan McLean will be the best release of the National League (not counting Paul Skenes) during the last month and will go up to the mound in October as a starter of game 1 of the Playoffs of Mets.
Paul Hembekides: Garrett Crochet from Boston will surpass Tarik Skubal de Detroit and win the Cy Young of the American League.
Schoenfield: Red Sox will reach Blue Jays and win the East Division of the American League.
González: In fact, Yankees will win the East Division of the American League.
Cockcroft: Yankees not only exceeds Toronto for the division title, but also ensures a direct ticket in the first round, even if they cannot reach Tigers for first place.
Olney: Yankees have a calendar so relaxed in the last weeks that end with the second best record in the American League … but as Toronto remains as a division champion, New York is the qualified room and faces Boston in the round of wild boys.
Tim Koeown: Parents, with the most easier baseball calendar, will have a 7-0 record against the Colorado Rockies in September to win the west division of the National League and obtain the second free ticket in the first round.
Castle: Mets will surpass Phillies and win the east division of the National League.
Doolittle: If we started the playoffs tomorrow, the key would look exactly the same as after finishing the season.
Voters: Dan Mullen, Liz Finny, Paul Hembekides, Jeff Passan, Eric Karabell, Alden González, David Schoenfield, Tim Kurkjian, Kiley McDaniel, Tim Keown, Jorge Castillo, Matt Marrone, Bradford Doolittle, Jesse Rogers, Tristan Cockcroft, Buster Olney
