New York’s Mets face a decisive late-season sprint as a seven-game skid threatens their playoff hopes, even with Soto delivering MVP-like numbers. The AL Wild Card picture tightens with Seattle closing in on Houston, while the NL race features Mets, Giants, Reds and D-backs all within striking distance. Byes go to the Blue Jays and Tigers in the AL and Brewers and Phillies in the NL, but a final regular-season series tiebreaker will determine some crucial spots.

The stretch run promises volatility: a couple of wins can vault teams into clinching scenarios, while losses can flip a wildcard order overnight. Fantasy managers must monitor lineup shifts, bullpen usage, and park factors as teams jockey for a postseason berth in the two weeks ahead.

Detroit's magic number to clinch the AL Central sits at eight with 13 games left, riding a strong run despite a recent 6-12 stretch. A pivotal Guardians series looms, and each Tigers win in that set cuts the number by two, tightening the path to home-field for the playoffs.

With the Guardians, White Sox, Braves, and Red Sox on the schedule, the next week could reframe Detroit's finish. A Cleveland win would blunt the Tigers, but a two-win or sweep against Cleveland could put Detroit close to clinching, potentially in Cleveland or at Comerica Park in a late-week showdown.

Remaining slate also features the Marlins and Royals in the mix, while Detroit aims to hold off both Cleveland and Toronto as the season winds down. The math is tight, but Detroit controls its fate with disciplined execution down the stretch.

Aaron Judge’s 362nd career homer moved him into sole possession of fourth on the Yankees’ all-time list, a milestone punctuating a 4-1 win at Fenway and keeping New York atop the wild AL East chase. The 468-foot blast swept over the Green Monster and capped Judge’s 47thHR of the year, a performance teammates hailed as a spark that fuels a rising, MVP-esque run as the Yankees push toward Toronto.

Judge’s milestone came amid a strong early effort from the Yankees, with six scoreless frames from Luis Gil and a productive night at the plate from Rice and Caballero, while Boston stalled. The win gives NYY a 1.5-game cushion over Boston, and the scene set reflects the club’s blend of historic lineage and current-level dominance as the pennant race heats up.

On this date, the White Sox’ history stitches together milestones from 1900 pennant chases to 2020 dominance. Derrington’s 1956 bonus-year debut, Miñoso’s 1976 age‑defying hit, Ventura’s 1989 arrival, 2016’s inning‑by‑inning scoring, Giolito’s 2019 eight‑K outing (despite a loss), and Abreu’s 2020 seven‑RBIs onslaught all mark trends that echo into today’s fantasy landscape.