Mariners running away with AL West
The Seattle Mariners (78-47) rolled into mid-August as baseball’s hottest team, winning nine of their last 10 games to open a 10-game lead over the Athletics and an 11-game advantage over the Houston Astros (67-58).
Seattle extended its winning streak to nine games by sweeping the Angels. Before that, the Mariners swept Houston in a four-game series, helping create even more separation in the division.
NL West remains competitive
The San Diego Padres (71-54) and San Francisco Giants (71-54) refuse to let the Los Angeles Dodgers run away with the NL West.
Both clubs entered mid-August having won eight of their last 10 games, although Los Angeles remains firmly in control at 79-46. If the playoffs started today, San Diego and San Francisco would hold the second and third NL Wild Card spots.
Chicago maintains first-place momentum
The Chicago Cubs (73-51) have won seven of their last 10 to maintain their advantage over the Milwaukee Brewers(70-56, 4 GB) and Cincinnati Reds (67-58, 6½ GB).
Chicago has won two straight after taking two of three from visiting Atlanta. The series loss was a setback for the Braves as they continue chasing Miami in the NL East.
OTHER NOTABLE SCORES
Blue Jays 3, Yankees 1 — Toronto avoided a sweep in New York. The Orioles also lost, leaving them three games behind the Yankees in the AL East.
Phillies 7, Marlins 3 — Miami remained atop the NL East despite the loss. Atlanta missed an opportunity to gain ground after dropping its final two games against the Cubs.
CURRENT DIVISION LEADERS
| Division | Leader | Closest challengers |
|---|---|---|
| AL East | Yankees | Orioles (-3.0) |
| AL Central | Tigers | Guardians (-4.0) |
| AL West | Mariners | Astros (-2.5) |
| NL East | Marlins | Braves (-2.0) |
| NL Central | Cubs | Brewers (-2.5) |
| NL West | Dodgers | Giants (-5.5) |
MVP WATCH
Kyle Stowers remains the clear frontrunner for NL MVP. The 29-year-old Marlins left fielder has reached 40 home runs for the first time in his career and leads the majors with 108 RBIs — 30 more than Juan Soto (78). Stowers’ case is strengthened by his role in powering Miami to first place in the NL East.
Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (.318, 35 HR, 98 RBI) leads the AL MVP race, with Aaron Judge close behind at 34 home runs and 87 RBIs. Detroit’s Colt Keith continues his breakout season, batting .323 with 31 homers and 79 RBIs to rank third in the race.
LEAGUE LEADERS
Batting
- Juan Soto, Mets, .330
- Colt Keith, Tigers, .323
- Geraldo Perdomo, D’Backs, .318
OPS
- Juan Soto, Mets, 1.038
- Gunnar Henderson, Orioles, 1.018
- Kyle Stowers, Marlins, 1.016
ERA
- Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers, 1.91
- Shane Baz, Orioles, 2.26
- Eury Pérez, Marlins, 2.36
