MLB playoff races and individual awards contests intensify in September

The 2026 MLB regular season enters its final month with several postseason and individual award races remaining undecided. Chicago Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong leads the WAR leaderboard with 9.3, creating a close MVP competition against Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani remains sidelined from the mound due to ongoing knee and biceps injuries. Meanwhile, Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez continues his pursuit of a Triple Crown, currently leading the American League in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in. Elsewhere, the Los Angeles Dodgers face scrutiny for recent offensive struggles, having averaged only 3.85 runs per game throughout August. Teams now have less than four weeks to secure playoff spots and finalize award resumes before the postseason begins.

• 1:30 PMCBS MLB — September storylines in MLB: Playoff races, Yordan Alvarez's Triple Crown pursuit, hot seats and more