The MLB postseason race is heating up. September is almost upon us, and we're getting a clear look at just what the playoff picture is going to look like. It should be a very interesting final month of the season as teams either make their final push towards October or potentially shift their focus to 2026 and how to improve for the future.
Several teams could look to shake up the playoff race by playing a little spoiler against contending teams. Despite being out of the mix, these three teams still have something left to play for as the calendar shifts.
3. Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins started to play better right before the trade deadline, and they still are in third place in the National League East. They were sellers at the trade deadline, but are still an interesting team to watch as the month of August draws to a close.
They still have very good starting pitching that includes Edward Cabrera, Sandy Alcantara and Eury Perez. They also have some contenders on their schedule soon, so they could very easily ruin the playoff hopes of those that are still trying to make a push. They play the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets twice more.
2. Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an interesting case. They weren't expected to be in this position at this point in the year. They were widely expected to contend for a World Series title. That obviously didn't happen this year.
But Atlanta still has a strong roster. Austin Riley is out for the year, unfortunately, but they still have Ozzie Albies, Ronald Acuna Jr., Sean Murphy, Matt Olson, Marcell Ozuna and Spencer Strider in their mix. There are also a lot of contenders on their schedule the rest of the way and they are playing some good baseball.
They didn't sell at the trade deadline. Instead, they chose to keep their roster intact for 2026 and beyond, and having several key pieces still around could help them potentially play some spoiler against some of these remaining playoff hopeful teams.
The New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros and Detroit Tigers are coming up on their schedule, and it will be interesting to see just how Atlanta fares against these teams as a club that was expected to contend this year but ultimately did not perform up to their preseason expectations.
1. St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis is in an interesting spot. They are rebuilding, but are also only four games back of the third and final National League Wild Card spot. In all likelihood, they won't make it to October for the third consecutive year. It would be the first time since 2016-18 that St. Louis accomplished this dubious feat.
However, they too have talent on their roster. There are young players such as Alec Burleson, Masyn Winn, Ivan Herrera, Michael McGreevy, Nolan Gorman, and even Brendan Donovan. Their bullpen remains a strength despite losing Ryan Helsley, Steven Matz and Phil Maton, so they should be an interesting team to watch down the stretch.
Regardless of whether or not they promote top prospect J.J. Wetherholt, St. Louis has the Cincinnati Reds, Mariners, Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers on their upcoming schedule as August winds down and September kicks off.
The Cardinals may be in a rebuild, but that doesn't mean that they can't still impact the playoff race in some way. They have an easier schedule, but when they play contenders, they could find a way to play some spoiler and build some momentum for the future as Chaim Bloom prepares to take control of the club.