With only one month left in the MLB season, there are plenty of storylines to watch in the final month.
There are a few division races that are still up for grabs.
Also, the AL MVP and Cy Young race will come down to the final month for some of the league’s top stars.
There are even a few statistical records that have a chance to fall in September.
The American League will be very exciting in the final month of the season, and here are some of the top storylines to follow.
Judge Chases the AL Home Run Record
The American League home run record was set by Roger Maris in 1961.
That year he hit 61 home runs and no one has been able to reach that number since.
But, Yankees star, Aaron Judge, is closing in on 61 with a month left to play.
The Yankees outfielder has hit 53 home runs with still 27 games to play.
Aaron Judge DEMOLISHES home run No. 53 🤯
It’s a single season personal best for the Yankees slugger.
🎥 @Yankeespic.twitter.com/gYilSrhzb3
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) September 4, 2022
Judge is currently on pace for 64 home runs, this season, Judge has 9.08 at bats per home run.
For his career, he has 12.11 at bats per home run.
Playing every day, he should have ample opportunity to break the record.
The one problem Judge might face is being pitched around this final month.
He is by far the best hitter on the Yankees and other teams should have little reason to pitch to the slugger this final month.
AL East Race
The New York Yankees are in danger of one of the biggest collapses in recent memory.
They had a 15.5-game lead over the Rays in the AL East at the beginning of July.
Now that lead is down to five games.
New York has been terrible in the second half of the season.
The Yankees have gone 10-20 in their past 30 games and are now six games behind the Astros for the number one seed in the AL.
The emergence of Tampa Bay is nothing new.
This has been one of the most consistent teams in baseball the recent years as they have made the playoffs each of the past three years.
As the Rays continue to close in, the pressure is all on the Yankees to avoid an epic collapse.
The Orioles Continue Their Improbable Run
In an unforeseen turnaround, the Baltimore Orioles are in contention for a wild-card spot.
The Orioles sit 2.5 games out of the third and final wild-card spot and are in pursuit of the Blue Jays.
Baltimore went from being a good story to being a good team.
It would not be a surprise to see them in the playoffs.
They have outplayed the New York Yankees throughout the second half.
They have a stable pitching staff and some good, young hitters that are leading them offensively.
Plenty of the Orioles’ top prospects have been called up this year and immediately contributed.
With Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson and Kyle Stowers all starting, the Orioles are starting their top three picks from a draft together for the first time ever, per Elias Sports Bureau.
The Diamondbacks have done it this season, though, starting their top three picks from ‘17
— Andy Kostka (@afkostka) September 3, 2022
Baltimore has the 11th hardest strength of schedule for the rest of the season including 10 games against the Blue Jays.
Those 10 games will ultimately be the deciding factor in which team gets the wild-card spot.
All three of these storylines are setting September baseball up to be one of the most exciting times of the year.
