Welcome to the final month of Major League Baseball's regular season. The next few weeks promise to contain a lot of exciting action as teams jockey for playoff seeding and most of the league's players attempt to end their years on a high note. For some players, though, September isn't just about the vibes; it's about gearing up for the postseason and the opportunity to pursue the game's most valuable prize.
With that in mind, we here at CBS Sports wanted to highlight 10 players on contending teams who have an important September ahead of them for this or that reason. In some cases, it's because the player needs to course-correct following a stretch of bad play; in other cases, it's because of what they mean to their club in a greater context; and in a few cases, it's about demonstrating health. Whatever the case, we'll pay special attention to these 10 players over the next few weeks.
Scroll with us, then, as we touch upon each player and their situation in a handy-dandy capsule format. (Do note the players are presented in no particular order.) Onward.
1. Bryce Harper, 1B, Phillies
Harper has had a brilliant season overall, but he's not far removed from a July that doubled as the worst full month of his career. (He posted a .598 OPS in 17 games.) Harper's power has also vanished since the end of June, with him launching just two home runs in his last 32 games. For comparison's sake, he hit at least six home runs in each of the season's first three months. Harper admitted over the weekend that he's been dealing with wrist and elbow discomfort. If the Phillies are going to win the NL East and make a serious run at the pennant, they'll need Harper to regain his power stroke soon.
2. Kyle Tucker, OF, Astros
Tucker hasn't played since early June on account of a deep bruise in his right shin. He's nearing a return to the field, however, and it can't come soon enough for the Astros. Houston has tried and tried again to replace Tucker's production, but they found few workable solutions. In our estimation, that says more about how good Tucker is than anything else. He'll have a few weeks to shake off the rust and learn how to manage whatever lingering pain he feels in his shin before October's bright lights turn on.
3. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, RHP, Dodgers
From one injured star coming off a prolonged absence to another. Yamamoto is in the process of returning from the tight triceps that wiped out much of his summer. Before heading to the shelf, he had recovered from a rough first start and had solidified himself as one of the best pitchers in the league. The Dodgers can only hope that Yamamoto returns strong -- and that he stays healthy heading into the playoffs.
4. Lucas Erceg, RHP, Royals
We'll concede that Erceg seems like an odd choice for any number of reasons. Bear with us. The Royals' bullpen hasn't been particularly good this season (they rank 25th in ERA as of this writing), and they're chasing down what could be their first division title since 2015. That combination could convince manager Matt Quatraro to press the button for Erceg more often than he might otherwise like to, in turn putting a lot on Erceg's shoulders -- in terms of workload and in terms of championship probability. We will note that Erceg (who was considered day-to-day after picking up a hand injury last week) has, of this writing, only worked consecutive games twice since joining the Royals at the deadline. If we had to guess, that won't remain true for long.
5. Yu Darvish, RHP, Padres
Darvish is yet another veteran who'll use September to get into postseason shape after missing the past three months of the season. His absence was caused by a combination of injury and an undisclosed personal matter. The Padres presumably envision Darvish being part of their playoff rotation alongside Dylan Cease, Joe Musgrove, and Michael King. First, though, they'll need to see that Darvish can perform as he did before heading to the shelf when he posted a 128 ERA+ over his first 11 outings.
6. Matt Olson, 1B, Braves
Olson, less than a year removed from finishing in the top five in NL Most Valuable Player Award balloting, has had a down season. He hadn't posted an OPS above .800 for a month until August, when he started to perform more like his usual self. The Braves' depleted lineup -- one without Ronald Acuña Jr., Ozzie Albies, and Austin Riley -- could use a strong finish from Olson if they're going to overtake the Phillies in the East, let alone make good on their preseason World Series title aspirations.
7. Steven Kwan, OF, Guardians
Remember when Kwan was flirting with a .400 average in late June? So much for that. He's hitting well under .250 since the start of July, which is problematic for a few reasons, beginning with how even with a new career-high in home runs his game is still built around churning out singles. Kwan's slump has coincided with down stretches from much of the Guardians lineup. We can't profess to hold high hopes for many of Kwan's peers righting the ship in major ways, but he's established enough that we have to believe better days are coming -- and coming before the start of October.
8. Ryne Nelson, RHP, Diamondbacks
If you haven't been paying attention to the defending NL champions, you've missed a brilliant run of pitching from Nelson. He's turned in three consecutive quality starts, including a gem against the Phillies. Nelson has pitched so well as of late that the Diamondbacks opted to keep him in the rotation and jettison Jordan Montgomery to the bullpen. Now, it's up to Nelson to earn a spot in a playoff rotation that figures to also include Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, and Eduardo Rodriguez. His top competition? Brandon Pfaadt, who authored a great stretch of pitching himself last fall.
9. Carlos Rodón, LHP, Yankees
It's fair to write that, on the whole, Rodón hasn't quite lived up to the expectations the Yankees had for him when they signed him back in winter 2022-23. However, he has had his moments, including a stretch as of late where he's fluctuated between good and not-so-good. The Yankees need Rodón -- and, really, at least one other starter -- to step up over the season's final month if they want to feel good about their chances of holding onto the AL East division lead and perhaps making a serious run at a bigger title.
10. Rhys Hoskins, 1B, Brewers
We can all agree that something would have to go terribly wrong for the Brewers to lose the NL Central. If they're going to make a real run at the pennant, they're going to need other things to go right. Among them: Hoskins to refind his stroke. He started the season well, but he's mustered OPS around .600 in two of the last three months. With Christian Yelich sidelined for the year, the Brewers are going to require some other hitters to step up to atone for his absence. Hoskins is a prime candidate to do just that.
