Every day, Pinstripe Alley offers updates on what the Yankees’ top American League opponents are up to through the Rivalry Roundup. The AL East is well-trodden ground there, but with the season’s final month upon us, we’re going to take a peek around MLB as a whole and check in with each of the other five divisions. Who’s surprising? Who’s underwhelming? Who’s simply mediocre at the moment? Read on and find out.
(Note: Records and standings are up to date through games played on Sunday, August 31st.)
First Place: Detroit Tigers (80-56)
Top Position Player: Dillon Dingler (3.5 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Tarik Skubal (6.1 fWAR)
Unlike the other two American League division leaders, the Detroit Tigers have some semblance of comfort heading into the final month of the season. They are in excellent position to take home their first division crown since 2014. That being said, given their close proximity in record to the Jays and Astros, Detroit is also in a fierce competition for a playoff bye and cannot afford to let up, even if the threat of the Royals is minimal. So it helps to have an ace like Skubal in your back pocket, and the 2024 AL Cy Young Award winner is doing his best to make a case for a repeat.
In many ways, the Tigers’ August represents a continuation of what we’ve seen from this team for much of the year, taking advantage of a deep lineup that can hurt you nearly one through nine. Riley Greene is the star of the show, but it’s the catcher Dillon Dingler who leads the team in fWAR, to the surprise of many, providing great value on both sides of the ball.
While Detroit didn’t make splashy acquisitions at the Trade Deadline, it did beef up its bullpen successfully, at least for this first month. Former National Kyle Finnegan hasn’t allowed a run in August, splitting save opportunities with Will Vest, each of them getting four.
What’s disconcerting for Tiger fans is the continued struggles of Jack Flaherty, who became the losing pitcher of record three times this month, allowing an ERA over five in August. Those three losses carry a particular meaning because they took Flaherty to 13 on the year. In what has to be an incredibly rare turn of events, the pitcher for the AL’s top team also leads the league in losses (13).
Second Place: Kansas City Royals (70-67)
Top Position Player: Bobby Witt Jr. (6.8 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Kris Bubic (3.4 fWAR)
Depth, depth, depth. The lack of depth has been the primary issue for the Royals’ offense for most of the season, and the improvement in that department helps explain this team’s recent surge. After a disappointing first half, Kansas City has provided Bobby Witt Jr. with more support to make a run at one of the Wild Card spots. They currently trail Seattle by three games, though the Rangers in between, half a game up on KC.
It isn’t just Maikel Garcia (4.8 fWAR) supporting Witt Jr., but Vinnie Pasquantino has had his most powerful month with a team-leading 10 home runs. Who had Mike Yastrzemski as the most impactful deadline acquisition? The lefty-hitting outfielder switched spacious ballparks and has gone from a .685 OPS with the Giants to a .988 mark in Kansas City, destroying everything in sight.
This second-half performance (23-17) is made all the more impressive with the missing pieces in the Royals’ rotation. Kris Bubic is already out for the year with a left rotator cuff strain, and Cole Ragans hasn’t pitched in the bigs since May but is currently working his way back, trying to salvage anything from a disappointing injury-riddled season after an All-Star breakout in 2024.
Third Place: Cleveland Guardians (68-67)
Top Position Player: José Ramírez (5.1 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Cade Smith (2.0 fWAR)
With most of its hitting core, including the likes of José Ramírez and Steven Kwan, drastically underperforming their season numbers, it’s actually quite the surprise that Cleveland has been able to maintain their roughly .500 status with an unspectacular but solid 14-13 campaign in August. Don’t look for Emmanuel Clase to provide any saving grace in September though, as his and Luis L. Ortiz’s administrative leaves were both extended “until further notice” amid a gambling investigation.
Perhaps the most noticeable development on the playing field for Cleveland in August is one with an eye towards the future. A second-round pick in 2022, Parker Messick was recently called to make his MLB debut. The left-handed starter delivered a couple of impressive outings, a sight for sore eyes to a rotation that has seen Cade Smith lead the team in fWAR heading into September.
Taking multiple steps back after a breakout performance in 2024, Tanner Bibee has had a particularly forgetful August, driving up his ERA to 4.73. On the flip side, Cleveland’s other highly talented young starter, Gavin Williams, has bounced back tremendously after struggling in 2024. He flirted with a no-hitter in Queens too, carrying the gem into the ninth until a Juan Soto bomb broke it up.
Fourth Place: Minnesota Twins (62-74)
Top Position Player: Byron Buxton (4.3 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Joe Ryan (3.3 fWAR)
Sometimes things are as simple as a talented yet flawed team conceding defeat at the deadline, selling a lot of assets, and being worse off for it. While Minnesota didn’t complete anything near a full-on fire sale, its 11-17 record is in part a reflection of how much this team misses the likes of Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Louie Varland, and Carlos Correa.
Without Correa, Brooks Lee, who had previously played third base in Royce Lewis’ absence and second base as well, moved over to short. Lee’s position change allowed room to get Luke Keaschall consistent at-bats, and that has paid off immensely. Keaschall’s 142 wRC+ is second on the team to Matt Wallner in August, and he won AL Player of the Week earlier on in the month for a sizzling stretch shortly after his promotion.
Having sold all of their top relievers, Minnesota inevitably had to turn to other names to take care of high-leverage spots. Justin Topa has done a fine job as the team’s closer, and Kody Funderburk is standing out, having allowed zero runs in 11.2 innings of work.
Last Place: White Sox (49-88)
Top Position Player: Kyle Teel (1.6 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Adrian Houser (1.8 fWAR)
Chicago’s management ought to send a thank-you letter to the Rockies for taking the spotlight off them as the worst team in the sport. Even for the White Sox level, a 9-19 record that they’ve put up this month is below the team’s current winning percentage of .353.
If you’re trying to be generous about their recent outlook, you can point to the performance of a few young hitters clearly in this team’s long-term plans. The likes of Kyle Teel, Edgar Quero, and Miguel Vargas have all done well, with the latter currently on the IL after an ugly injury the other day against the Yankees.
Colson Montgomery had a unique August in which he excelled in exactly one thing. Montgomery led the team with 10 home runs in August but only managed a wRC+ just above 110 because he’s hitting below .200 and striking out nearly one-third of the time.
![The Mets try to put a tiger in their tank against the [checks notes] Tigers](https://glance-mob.glance-cdn.com/public/cardpress/binge-magazine-card-generation/spaces/US/en/sb-nation/images/ppid_2cf3d240-image-175673583043898182.webp)
