The top MLB teams to watch as the regular season nears the end

Three weeks. That’s all we’ve got left in the regular season, and before you know it, we’ll be down to 12 teams. Playoff hopes are starting to fade for some clubs, and so far, three teams have already been booted from the race: the Marlins, the Rockies, and the White Sox. Every week from here on out, it’ll be one after another, like dominoes falling.

It’s a strange feeling. There are some teams I’m already missing - feels like we just got started, and now we’re gearing up to say goodbye. But as they say, that’s the way it goes in baseball.

The Dodgers are still sitting pretty at the top, as usual. You’ve gotta hand it to them - they’ve found a way to be consistently dominant, year in and year out. They’re on the verge of putting up a .600 win percentage for the sixth straight season, something we haven’t seen since the Yankees pulled it off from 1947-57. Just 12 more wins, and it’s in the bag.

Meanwhile, the Phillies are riding high, even after a couple of losses. It’s been a while since they’ve dropped two games in a row, but let’s not panic. The team’s still in solid shape, and Kyle Schwarber is hitting like a man possessed. If anyone’s going to snag Player of the Month honors in September, it’s him.

Over in the Bronx, Aaron Judge is going through a bit of a dry spell. He hasn’t hit a homer since August 25, and for him, that’s an eternity. But with 57 homers already on deck, no one’s about to start counting him out. He’ll break out of it soon enough - he always does.

And then there’s the Orioles. Oh man, talk about a rough patch. They’ve been struggling all over the place since July, from the mound to the bullpen. Even when Corbin Burnes throws a gem, it doesn’t seem to be enough. Baltimore fans are starting to feel the heat, and it’s hard to blame them. Their season is hanging by a thread.

On the other hand, Houston is firing on all cylinders. The Astros have been tearing it up with their bats lately, averaging more than seven runs per game in their recent wins. It’s a complete 180 from how they were playing a few weeks ago. If they keep this up, they’re going to be tough to beat in the playoffs.

Down at the bottom, it’s mostly about pride and looking ahead to next season. The Pirates are a young team making strides, even though their record says otherwise. The A’s have Brent Rooker and Lawrence Butler crushing homers like old-school Bash Brothers, while the Nationals are flying around the bases, closing in on 200 stolen bags. The White Sox, though, are just struggling to keep it together, with Garrett Crochet’s ERA ballooning to an ugly 7.09 in the second half. As for the Rangers, their playoff hopes are long gone, and the Blue Jays are left to ponder how much they’ll have to fork over for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. come 2025. Meanwhile, the Mets have been more fun than anyone expected, even if a playoff run seems like a long shot. And teams like the Padres and Diamondbacks are finding the Wild Card race tighter than they’d like, with bullpen woes threatening to derail their chances.