Major League Baseball is finally in the home stretch of the 2025 season. A long, 162-game campaign will come down to the final month of the season as teams jockey for playoff position. Players who can pull their weight in September will be incredibly valuable as the final days tick off the season's calendar.
As we did with the National League, let’s take a look at the players with the best and worst September track records for each American League contender. We've lumped October numbers from the regular season into these calculations since the sample sizes are too small to warrant their own category.
There are some surprises in here, but many of the best players step up with the season on the line.
Detroit Tigers
Best: Tarik Skubal
Skubal is cruising to his second straight AL Cy Young Award, and based on his track record, there are no signs he'll slow down in September. The 28-year-old has made 19 appearances (18 starts) in the month during his six-year career and is 6–3 with a 2.82 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 113 strikeouts against 17 walks in 92 2/3 innings. Opposing hitters are slashing .184/.230/.326 against him in that time. That .556 OPS against is his second-best of any month, .002 points below May.
Worst: Kyle Finnegan
The Tigers added Finnegan to the back of their bullpen at the trade deadline, and it has paid off as he has yet to allow a run in his first 12 appearances with the team while going 3–0 and earning four saves. But the 33-year-old reliever does not have a good track record in the season's final month.
In 58 career appearances in September and October, Finnegan is 3–10 with a 5.85 ERA, 1.65 WHIP and 59 strikeouts against 30 walks in 60 innings. He has allowed 11 home runs, opponents are slashing .289/.375/.477, and his FIP of 5.24 is not encouraging. It is his worst month by far, so Detroit will have to keep an eye on him as the season winds down.
Toronto Blue Jays
Best: Bo Bichette
Bichette is having arguably the best season of his career at the plate, and he's entering what has historically been his best month. In his seven-year career, Toronto's shortstop has played in 116 September/October games and is slashing .323/.363/.526 with 20 home runs, 77 RBIs and a 144 wRC+. His .890 OPS is his best in any month by 32 points, and his slugging percentage is also his best in any month.
As the Blue Jays attempt to close out the season by winning the AL East, Bichette could be their key down the stretch.
Worst: Jeff Hoffman
Hoffman has had mixed results as Toronto's closer in the first year of a three-year, $33 million deal. He enters September 8–6 with a 5.02 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 29 saves in 36 opportunities. Given his history, things might be about to get worse.
Hoffman has made 55 September appearances during his 10-year career and is 3–5 with a 5.79 ERA, 1.65 WHIP and 104 strikeouts against 51 walks in 91 2/3 innings. Opposing hitters are slashing .272/.370/.508 against him for an OPS of .878, and he's been especially homer-prone, allowing 21. And it’s not like he’s been unlucky; his FIP in the month is 5.80. Maybe he can turn it around this year, but it is traditionally his worst month of the season.
Houston Astros
Best: Yordan Alvarez
Alvarez is having a forgettable season after missing nearly four months with a fracture in his hand. But he has returned just in time to play in a month when he usually thrives. Traditionally, during his career, Alvarez crushes September. In 125 career games, he's slashing .296/.395/.601 with 32 home runs and 83 RBIs. His .996 OPS is the second-best for a month, and his 171 wRC+ is third among active players, behind Aaron Judge and Seiya Suzuki. The Astros' lineup just got a big boost with his return.
Worst: Jeremy Peña
Peña's breakout season at the plate may soon hit a roadblock as the calendar turns to September. The 27-year-old has played in 80 September/October games in his career and is slashing .268/.302/.390 in them, with seven home runs, 30 RBIs and 64 strikeouts against 12 walks. He carries a .692 OPS and a 95 wRC+ with a wOBA of .301. He has been anemic with the bat in the season's final month but given his season so far he could change that trend this year.
New York Yankees
Best: Aaron Judge
I'm going to shock you: Aaron Judge is the Yankees' best hitter in September. The two-time MVP is great during every month, but he turns it on late in the season. During his 193 career September/October games, he is slashing .275/.409/.610, with 61 home runs and 135 RBIs. His wRC+ of 174 in September is the best among all active players, as is his wOBA of .419. Expect a great month to close what has been another unbelievable season for the Yankees slugger.
Worst: Anthony Volpe
Volpe has faced a ton of criticism for his play this season and, if history is any guide, that won't quiet down this month. He has traditionally been terrible at the plate after the calendar turns to September.
In 51 career games during the season's final month, Volpe is batting .169 with an on-base percentage of .223, while slugging .235. That's an anemic OPS of .458, by far his worst in any month. He has also struck out 57 times against 13 walks and has only two home runs and 12 RBIs in those games. His wRC+ is a comically low 28. Aaron Boone might want to find some days off for the 24-year-old this month if he doesn’t end up outright benching him.
Boston Red Sox
Best: Aroldis Chapman
Alex Bregman could have fit here, but Chapman has been dominant during September throughout his 16-year career. The 37-year-old has made 144 appearances and boasts a 2.14 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and a whopping 226 strikeouts against 72 walks in 138 2/3 innings. Opposing hitters are slashing .140/.261/.206, and the .467 OPS against him is his lowest in any month. His FIP of 2.20 is also outstanding. Chapman has been brilliant for the Red Sox this season, and that should continue as we head into September.
Worst: Jarren Duran
Over the past two seasons, Duran has become one of Boston's most important players, but September has easily been his worst month. While he doesn't have an extensive track record, what exists is pretty brutal. In 28 career September/October games, Durant is slashing .241/.285/.302, with no home runs and two RBIs. His .586 OPS is 133 points lower than any other month. And his numbers are that low despite a batting average of balls in play of .318.
Seattle Mariners
Best: Julio Rodríguez
The Mariners are chasing the Astros as they seek to win their first AL West title since 2001. Luckily, they have one of the best late-season hitters in baseball on their roster. In 74 career September/October games, Julio Rodríguez is hitting .304 with a .346 on-base percentage while slugging .573. He has 22 home runs, his most in any month, and 48 RBIs while posting an OPS of .919 and a wRC+ of 158. We'll see if he can help lift Seattle over Houston.
Worst: Bryan Woo
Bryan Woo is having a great season for the Mariners. He enters the season's final month with a 12–7 record, 2.95 ERA, and a 0.95 WHIP, but he's now entering his worst month.
In 10 career September/October appearances, Woo is 5–3 with a 4.68 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 55 strikeouts in 50 innings pitched. Opponents are posting a .736 OPS against him in those games, and he's allowed 10 home runs, while his FIP is an elevated 4.81. Seattle will need him to reverse his historical trend down the stretch.
Kansas City Royals
Best: Mike Yastrzemski
The Royals landed Yastrzemski from the Giants at the trade deadline, and it's possible they added him due to his late-season prowess. September has traditionally been his best month. In 155 games, he is slashing .256/.342/.488 with 25 home runs and 73 RBIs. His .831 OPS is the best of any month during his career, and his wRC+ of 127 and wOBA of .355 are excellent. He'll need to step up if the Royals are going to make up ground in the AL wild-card chase.
Worst: Maikel Garcia
Maikel Garcia is having the best season of his three-plus-season career, setting career highs in home runs (15), batting average (.298), OPS (.837) and WAR (5.1). That said, he's now entering a month in which he's been horrendous during his career. In 49 career games during September/October, Garcia has slashed .217/.287/.273 with no home runs, 11 RBIs and 45 strikeouts. That OPS of .560 is his lowest in a month by 73 points.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Each American League Contender's Best and Worst September Performer.