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7 MLB stars who have to step up in September

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Aug 27, 2016; Bronx, NY, USA; Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis (19) hits a solo home run against the New York Yankees during the fifth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports

The wild-card spots in both leagues are up for grabs. Playoff spots depend on big stars stepping up. Which big MLB names need to have a big September?

There are five teams in each league with a legitimate shot at winning a wild-card spot. With the divisions mostly wrapped up, these are the races that warrant the most interest. Playoff spots are going to come down to big stars stepping up in key moments in September. Nearly every team in the race has a big star who has had a somewhat disappointing season. If this collection of All-Stars can pull together a big push to the finish, their teams could edge into the playoffs.

These are the seven MLB stars who need to find an extra gear for the month of September and propel their teams to the top of the heap and into the postseason.

August 14, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen (22) hits an RBI single in the fourth inning against Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Andrew McCutchen

It’s been a confusing down year so far for the Pittsburgh Pirates MVP center fielder. He hasn’t really been injured. He just hasn’t looked like himself all year. The five-time All-Star had been good for a .300/.400/.500 line like clockwork for the past five seasons, but has sunk all the way down to .251/.328/.413 this year.

The Pirates attempted to jump-start McCutchen by sitting him down for an entire series at the beginning of August, and it seemed to work. Since his brief hiatus, Cutch has slashed .280/.391/.419 with three home runs. If the surge holds, it will be huge for the Pirates.

Despite losing Gerrit Cole to an injury, the Buccos are very much in the hunt for another playoff berth. Currently only 2.5 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals, the Pirates will have plenty of chances to gain ground in September. The pitching takes a definite hit without Cole, and McCutchen stepping up to fill the void he has left all season will be crucial.

BALTIMORE, MD – MAY 04: Chris Davis

Chris Davis

He’s hot and he’s cold; he’s yes and he’s no. It’s been almost impossible to predict what Chris Davis will do on a given night this season, although it’s a good be he will record at least one strikeout (Davis has gone without a K in only 24 of his 129 games so far this season). The big first baseman has been incredibly slump-prone this season.

From July 21 to August 9, Davis batted .106 with only one home run and 28 strikeouts in 19 games. He followed that by batting .311 with seven home runs in 13 games. Now, Davis is riding another deep slump and is 4-for-26 over his last eight games. Outside of homering, striking out, or walking, he has done very little this season.

The home runs have come in clusters this year for Davis, and when he hasn’t been knocking them out of the park, he’s done very little to contribute offensively. In 2014, the O’s endured a lengthy Nelson Cruz slump in the second half, only to see him explode in September. That’s what the Orioles need out of Davis this year, but it’s anyone’s best guess if he will produce.

If the first five months of the season are any indication, Davis is due for at least one week-long stretch of knocking baseball’s into oblivion. That could be enough to keep the Orioles afloat in the standings.

Aug 22, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco (59) pitches against the Oakland Athletics in the first inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports

Carlos Carrasco

The Cleveland Indians appear to have a fairly comfortable 4.5-game lead over the Detroit Tigers, but they have been mostly stagnant since going 22-6 in the months of June. Inertia has kept them ahead of the Tigers for now, but their hopes of having a deep postseason run are a bit more in question now than they were a few months ago.

Part of the problem for the Indians is that only Corey Kluber is pitching well. Cleveland has to be able to count on good starting pitching because their offense is average at best. Danny Salazar has dealt with elbow trouble in the second half, and has a 9.10 ERA over his past seven starts. That’s a problem.

Carlos Carrasco was briefly on the DL in April, but has been healthy since. He has also struggled in August, and has a 5.10 ERA in his past seven starts. Salazar’s elbow is likely more problematic than he or the club are willing to admit. It’s up to Carrasco to steer his season back on track. Without a fully functional number-two behind Kluber, the Tribe’s season could come to an early, unceremonious end.

Aug 30, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright (50) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Adam Wainwright

The Cardinals are hanging tough in the second wild card spot, ahead of McCutchen’s Pirates. Despite their tenuous grasp on a playoff spot, it’s been a very un-Cardinals like year in St. Louis. The offense has had to carry the team at times, and the starting pitching has been spotty. Ace Adam Wainwright has shouldered much of the blame in that category.

Waino is only 9-8 this season with a 4.53 ERA. Despite his inflated ERA, the 35-year-old’s peripheral statistics indicate that he hasn’t been quite that bad. Wainwright has a 3.58 FIP and is striking out and walking batters at rates close to his career norms.

Age and injuries have taken some of the shine away from the perennial All-Star and Cy Young candidate, but Wainwright still looks capable of dialing up five or six good starts over the season’s final month. The Cardinals have not missed the playoffs since 2010, and a good month from Wainwright should be enough to keep the Pirates at bay and the Cardinals’ postseason streak alive.

Aug 21, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Houston Astros pitcher Dallas Keuchel (60) throws a pitch during the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

Dallas Keuchel

Somewhat surprisingly, Dallas Keuchel emerged to win the 2015 AL Cy Young. His follow-up season has not been nearly as good, but signs are pointing up. Keuchel has posted consecutive months of sub-4.00 ERAs, and August was his best month of the season. The Astros have played inconsistent baseball all season, but their offense has gotten rolling and appears locked in. The pitching staff needs to carry more of the load if the ‘Stros are going to make up two games on the Orioles.

The bug-a-boo for Keuchel last year when he won the Cy Young was pitching on the road. He went 5-8 with a 3.77 ERA away from home (compared to 15-0 with a 1.46 ERA at Minute Maid Park) in 2015. That trend is continuing this year, and Keuchel is 5-7 with a 5.42 ERA on the road this season.

Keuchel has had a similar season to Wainwright. The advanced metrics don’t paint as grim a picture as the back-of-the-baseball-card stats do. The Astros hurler does not have dominant stuff, and hitters are able to put balls in play against him. As is the case, Keuchel is subject to the wild fluctuations in BABip — .269 last year to .305 this year. His bad luck seems to be in the rearview, and if it stays that way, the Astros could capitalize on a weak September schedule and jump the Orioles and Detroit Tigers.

Aug 27, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher David Price (24) walks off the mound after pitching during the fourth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

David Price

The runner-up in last year’s AL Cy Young race signed a blockbuster contract with the Boston Red Sox last offseason. So far, Price has come up well short of expectations. Still, the left-hander with the $200-million contract may be peaking at the right time.

The Red Sox have a very legitimate shot at winning the AL East title, and Price will have to continue his run of strong pitching. Since the All-Star break, he is 4-2 with a 3.19 ERA in nine starts. It’s still hard to say whether those strong results are a sign of Price turning the tables for good this year. His strikeout rate is down in the second half, while his walk rate is up. Price has also allowed over a hit an inning in the second half, but has lowered his home-run rate slightly.

Pitching is weird. David Price got good results in the month of July despite allowing a .377 BABip. In August, he pitched to a worse ERA despite having a freakishly low BABip of .250. Regardless of how the hits fall in September, the Red Sox need Price to be at his best if they are going to chase down the Blue Jays and win the division. From there, it will be up to Price to conquer his postseason demons.

Aug 31, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista (19) high fives teammates after hitting a home run in the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

Jose Bautista

In his walk year, Joey Bats has struggled to match his career norms. He has been on the disabled list twice, and his .460 slugging percentage is his worst since 2013. Bautista has not been at full strength this year, and that has bogged down the powerful Toronto lineup at times.

Bautista got hot at the end of August, feasting on the weak pitching staffs of the Minnesota Twins and the Orioles. He needs to carry that hot streak for the season’s final month, not only for his own personal financial gain. Josh Donaldson has been hitting everything over the past two weeks, and that should result in pitchers being forced to feed Bautista, the Jays leadoff man, a steady diet of fastballs.

September has historically been one of Bautista’s worst months. Spending a few weeks on the disabled list could have him feeling fresher than in seasons past. If Jose Bautista has a productive final month of the season, the Blue Jays have to be viewed as legitimate World Series contenders. The Jays will make the playoffs for a second consecutive year regardless of how well Bautista plays in September, but a strong month from the heart and soul of their lineup could mean the difference between winning the division or being forced into the wild-card one-off.

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