The National League East has been a two-team race for most of the season, and with August now behind us, the same largely rings true. The last time the Braves were not first in odds to win the division, according to FanGraphs, was April 8th. There was minimal movement during the month of August, and with the season’s final month kicking off, the East is the Braves’ to lose, though the Phillies maintain as high a ceiling as anyone around the league.
First Place: Atlanta Braves (82-56)
Top Position Player:
Michael Harris II (4.0 fWAR) Top Pitcher: Chris Sale (5.3 fWAR)
It was a solid month of August for Atlanta, who started with five consecutive wins, and closed the month by winning seven of eight. Matt Olson’s 37 homers, good for third-most in the NL, along with Michael Harris II’s continued rock-solid play on both sides has led the way to this point, with August changing nothing in that narrative. Drake Baldwin has been the other primary force for the season, outdoing his impressive rookie season in ‘25 despite a middling August.
While the lineup is strong, particularly at the top, the pitching staff is still led by 37-year-old Chris Sale, who is putting up some of the best numbers of his career in 144 innings so far. The dominant lefty capped off another good month with a true gem, a complete-game shutout with 11 strikeouts against the Dodgers. With FanGraphs giving Atlanta an 84.7 percent chance of winning the division, the Braves are not a team anyone would want to see come October.
Second Place: Philadelphia Phillies (78-60)
Top Position Player: Bryson Stott (3.5 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Cristopher Sánchez (5.7 fWAR)
In that aforementioned race, the Phillies have been the second horse for much of the season. In August, however, the Fightin’ Phils paced the league with a scorching 21-7 record, a run that keeps them only four games out of first place in the East. Kyle Schwarber’s seven homers on the month make him the only player in baseball with 40, while Bryce Harper’s 194 wRC+ in August has helped make 2027 a full return to form for the two-time MVP.
The rotation headed by Cristopher Sánchez, Jesús Luzardo, and Zack Wheeler continues to be among the best units in baseball. Sánchez and his 175.1 innings will be firmly in the middle of the Cy Young discussion, not to mention that Luzardo joins him as one of the top five pitchers in baseball by fWAR. While they still have a hill to climb in the final month if they want a division crown, they have as good a top end as any team in baseball.
Third Place: Miami Marlins (69-69)
Top Position Player: Otto Lopez (4.8 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Sandy Alcantara (3.5 fWAR)
The Marlins, in a division with two big-time clubs, continue to play solid ball in 2026. It was another month hovering around .500, but given their overall record, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. August did unfortunately feature a sweep at the hands of both the Braves and the Phillies, but the Fish still did enough to remain at .500, and most importantly, stay within reach in the Wild Card race.
Sandy Alcantara’s 189.2 innings after August leads baseball by a wide margin, as the righty has finished at least six innings in 11 consecutive outings, including a pair of scoreless starts that kicked off his month. On offense, a balanced squad with eight different players managing a wRC+ over 100 has helped to keep this club afloat for much of the season. They ended the month by losing three of four to Washington, but they’ll need everything they can get if they want to contend over this final month of the regular season.
Fourth Place: Washington Nationals (66-74)
Top Position Player: James Wood (4.1 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Cade Cavalli (3.3 fWAR)
The Nationals essentially lost any shred of contention they had in the month of August, fueled by a 3-12 stretch that saw them fall rapidly in a competitive race. James Wood is quite good, and hasn’t played in a game since August 3rd thanks to an oblique problem, which certainly doesn’t help.
The 23-year-old Daylen Lile has been a bright spot, though, as he’s reached the 20 homer mark and posted a 140 wRC+ in August. On the pitching side, Cade Cavalli has continued to lead the way, a status maintained by his 1.75 ERA in six August starts. Unfortunately for the Nats, a rough go on the whole has essentially put them out of play as the season heads toward its end.
Last Place: New York Mets (62-76)
Top Position Player: Carson Benge (3.0 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Nolan McLean (3.0 fWAR)
Ah, the Mets. One of the bigger disappointments of the 2026 season actually enjoyed a solid month of August. Sweeps of the Nationals and the Guardians were high points in the month, though the return of Juan Soto was the best news of all, after he spent more than a month on the shelf. Luis Torrens, Bo Bichette, and Carson Benge were all forces with the bat in August — excitement that was a welcome sight for the people of Queens.
Their playoff odds have been in the basement since the middle of June, as the Met’s dug themselves too deep a hole to make any sort of real run.
