With conference play set to open across the country in Week 3, we’re about to get a much firmer grasp on the 2025 college football landscape. Among other things, this weekend will deliver fresh windows into first-year quarterbacks at Georgia and Tennessee when the Bulldogs travel to Neyland Stadium. Elsewhere in the SEC, Florida visits No. 3 LSU with the pair of SEC rivals respectively shouldering very different but equally hefty stakes. Meanwhile, some of college football’s most surprising early-season storylines will continue to play out Saturday with No. 18 South Florida leading the charge as the surging Bulls venture south to No. 5 Miami.

Our college football experts give insight on key matchups in this weekend’s pair of high-profile SEC clashes, the programs that have surprised us so far and the top quotes of the past seven days entering Week 3. — Eli Lederman

Jump to:
Georgia-Tennessee | Florida-LSU
Teams that have surprised us | Quotes of the Week

What will Georgia and Tennessee need from their new starting QBs?

Georgia: Quarterback Gunner Stockton gets his first SEC road test at Tennessee on Saturday, and the Bulldogs will be looking for him to deliver more in the downfield passing game. Stockton played OK in Georgia’s first two wins over Marshall and FCS program Austin Peay, completing 69% of his pass attempts for 417 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also ran for two scores against the Thundering Herd. His legs weren’t much of a factor in last week’s closer-than-expected win against the Governors. Stockton has taken care of the football and hasn’t put the defense in bad situations, but Georgia needs more explosive plays on offense. He has attempted only 10 passes beyond 10 yards. Georgia went into the transfer portal to get USC’s Zachariah Branch and Texas A&M’s Noah Thomas, and Colbie Young is back after sitting out most of the 2024 season because of a suspension. Those playmakers have to be more involved on offense, along with tight ends Oscar Delp and Lawson Luckie. If Georgia is going to beat Tennessee for the ninth straight time, Stockton has to be more comfortable letting the ball fly, especially against a secondary that is missing starting cornerbacks Jermod McCoy (ACL) and Rickey Gibson III (arm) because of injuries.

Tennessee: The Volunteers couldn’t have asked for much more from transfer quarterback Joey Aguilar in their first two victories against Syracuse and FCS program East Tennessee State. The former App State starter completed 66.1% of his attempts for 535 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions. He threw a 73-yard touchdown to Braylon Staley against the Orange and a 53-yarder to Mike Matthews against the Buccaneers. He might have to do even more against Georgia’s defense, which brings back promising safety KJ Bolden and cornerback Daylen Everette, a potential first-round pick in the 2026 NFL draft. The Bulldogs are going to try to stifle Tennessee’s running game and get after Aguilar in the pocket. Georgia coach Kirby Smart and defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann have had UT coach Josh Heupel’s number in recent seasons. The Bulldogs haven’t given up explosive plays, a trademark of Heupel’s system. In each of the past three losses to Georgia, the Volunteers’ high-flying offense failed to throw for 200 yards and didn’t have a passing touchdown. — Mark Schlabach

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What do Florida and LSU need to capitalize on to win?

Florida: Aside from avoiding penalties, including spitting on a player? The Gators have to play with the emotion and intensity that comes with knowing their season is hanging in the balance after a shocking 18-16 loss to USF. They can do that by setting the tone on defense, which played well for stretches against the Bulls but then gave up 87 yards on eight plays on the final drive. LSU has struggled to run the ball through two games, and frustrations boiled over after a 23-7 win over Louisiana Tech, in which the Tigers averaged 3.8 yards per carry. In their win over LSU last year, Florida held the Tigers to 2.9 yards per carry. The good news for Florida is it won’t be facing a dual-threat quarterback like Byrum Brown. So if the Gators can limit the LSU backs, they will give themselves a shot. — Andrea Adelson

LSU: The Gators might be more desperate, but the Tigers should be plenty motivated after what happened in Gainesville last fall. LSU’s defense looks like the better of the two units and must cause more distress for DJ Lagway, who averaged 17.4 yards per completion in the 2024 win. The Tigers hurried Lagway nine times but never sacked him. They also let down in the fourth quarter with two touchdowns allowed. LSU’s upgrades on defense and playing at home, where coach Brian Kelly implored that the crowd needs to “live up to our résumé as the toughest place to play in the country,” must become outcome-swinging factors. Garrett Nussmeier is still the superior quarterback, and if LSU can get Caden Durham going — he had 95 rushing yards against Florida last season — the Tigers should prevail. — Adam Rittenberg

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Five teams that have surprised us so far

South Florida: It would have been very easy to look at South Florida’s first two games of the season and have both of them — against Boise State and Florida — earmarked as likely losses. Instead, the Bulls went out and started 2-0, making a surprising early case as the best Group of 5 team. The win against Boise State was particularly impressive because of how lopsided it was (34-7). Boise State looked nothing like the team that reached the playoff last season (losing running back Ashton Jeanty, of course, played a significant role in that).

UCLA: After the Bruins finished the 2024 season winning four of their final six games, they brought in transfer quarterback Nico Iamaleava in the offseason. It was reasonable to be optimistic about the direction of the football program. Two games later, UCLA looks like an underdog in all nine of the Big Ten games on its schedule. The Bruins weren’t remotely competitive in their 43-10 loss to Utah, then fell behind 23-0 to UNLV before making it look more respectable in a 30-23 loss last week. Now, UCLA will have to brace for another season of playing in a more than half-empty Rose Bowl.

Kansas State: The only thing between the Wildcats and an 0-3 start, is a last-minute touchdown against FCS North Dakota. Their three-point losses to Iowa State and Army aren’t the end of the world, but this team was expected to compete for the Big 12 title (and still could, to be fair) and hasn’t yet looked the part. Against Army, quarterback Avery Johnson was limited to 172 yards passing and 14 yards rushing. That’s not a formula with which K-State can win.

Florida State: The roller coaster in Tallahassee has been a wild ride. In no other era of college football does it seem plausible for a team to win 19 games in a row, then lose 11 of 13 and then immediately jump back into the top 10. And yet this is the life the Seminoles have lived over the past few seasons. FSU was expected to be better this season, but its convincing win against Alabama in Week 1 might have been the most surprising result of the young season.

Mississippi State: After finishing 2-10 last season with a winless SEC campaign, the Bulldogs didn’t have much momentum. But after an upset of then-No. 12 Arizona State, perhaps this is a team that could be bowling at the end of the season. With games against Alcorn State and Northern Illinois the next two weeks, a 4-0 start seems likely before the gauntlet of conference play begins. — Kyle Bonagura

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Quotes of the Week

“According to who? Arch said that to you?” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian responded to a question this week as speculation swirled over the health of Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning. “I’ve never filmed any of you guys when you’re using the bathroom, so I don’t know what faces you make when you’re doing that.”

“Who has one of those? What does that look like? What does a solidified quarterback look like? What does that look like? I want to know. We play quarterbacks every week. What does a solidified quarterback look like?” Colorado coach Deion Sanders said when asked if he had concerns around the absence of a “solidified quarterback” with third-string quarterback Ryan Staub expected to start ahead of veteran Kaidon Salter and freshman Julian Lewis in Week 3. “That could mean something’s up with your roster if it’s clear,” Sanders continued. “Then [when] that clear guy goes down, what’s up with the second one? I like where we are, man. I like what we have. I like what we’re playing with. I like these dice I’m shaking.”

“Just wanted to see if we could,” Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said of the Tigers’ illegal free kick against Kansas in Week 2 that prompted the Big 12 to suspend the responsible officiating crew on Tuesday. “You know, it’s like asking your parents if you can do something that you know they probably shouldn’t let you do. But sometimes they get it wrong.”

“I love Darian to death,” Tulane coach Jon Sumrall said of Duke and former Green Wave quarterback Darian Mensah ahead of the Blue Devils’ Week 3 visit to Tulane. “I’ve said this publicly: if you play one snap, 100 snaps, 1,000 snaps for me, I’ll love you for the rest of my life. I care about him, wish him well, saw him this summer — I’ve got nothing but love for Darian.”

“I’ve talked to many that believe across the country this is the progress we need to make,” LSU’s Brian Kelly said of Ohio State Buckeyes coach Ryan Day’s response to proposed transfer portal changes. “I want to get my roster set. Now, I know there’s probably 12 or 16 teams that might be in the playoffs at that time. I’m sorry, there’s no crying on the yacht. I mean, we got to get this thing set and its best position at this time to allow us to set our rosters moving forward.”

Week 3 of college football season is here, and the board is spicy. Lines are shifting, narratives are forming, and a few teams are still getting priced like their old selves.

I’ve circled my spots, run the numbers, and this week’s card has a mix of edges I feel good about — the kind where matchup meets value. Week 3 feels like college football’s version of speed dating because some teams look amazing at home, others look lost on the road, FCS opponents are muddying the waters, and we’re still figuring out who’s the real deal and who’s just catfishing us.

No spoilers yet, but let’s just say a couple of teams are about to get tested, and I’m betting the market hasn’t caught up.

All odds by ESPN BET

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Bet to make: Georgia Tech +3.5

The market is still pricing 2022 Clemson instead of what we’ve seen on the field. It’s early. I know. However, I have doubts.

Clemson has struggled to find rhythm offensively. Cade Klubnik has talent — I thought Heisman talent — but this group is outside the top 90 in offensive efficiency and is converting just 31% of third downs. That’s like trying to win a chess match when you keep losing your queen early.

The biggest mismatch here is explosiveness. Georgia Tech is top 30 in both passing and rushing EPA, while Clemson sits outside the top 80 in both. The mismatch matters because the Yellow Jackets don’t need 12 plays to find the end zone, while Clemson often does. In a game projected to be tight, the team that can create quick-strike touchdowns or flip field position in one play has the edge, and right now that’s Georgia Tech.

Through two games, GT’s rushing offense has been one of the most efficient in the country. It ranks second in rushing yards, averaging over seven yards per carry, with four different players already ripping off runs of 27 yards or longer, including quarterback Haynes King.

That rushing strength will be tested, and King’s injury status is something to keep an eye on, but he is expected to play. He’s a quarterback who forces you to defend every blade of grass.

I look back to late last season and think of this as it déjà vu for Clemson’s defense. They saw this exact movie last season with South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers (166 rushing yards). King has a very similar skill set, except GT’s overall offense is more explosive.

Grab the points. The Yellow Jackets have the sting to pull off the upset.

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Bet to make: Oregon -27.5 and Northwestern UNDER 10.5

Oregon is beating up on opponents they’re supposed to, winning by a combined score of 128-16 while averaging 10.2 yards per play. The offense has been balanced and explosive, led by Dante Moore‘s efficiency and a backfield that’s averaging 8.4 yards per carry.

Now they face a Northwestern defense ranked 122nd in EPA per rush allowed, the same group Tulane gashed for 269 rushing yards in Week 1. This sets up as a trench mismatch, and Oregon has the speed and depth to exploit it.

Northwestern’s secondary is solid, but that was against Western Illinois, and even still, Oregon’s run game is the hammer and Northwestern’s front is the nail. The Ducks also are second in yards gained, meaning they are finishing drives at an elite rate. This is one of those matchups where Oregon can control the script, lean on their ground game and force Northwestern to play catch-up with an offense that lacks any weapons to contend.

Betting against this Oregon offense right now (against soft opponents) feels risky. Now, both of the Ducks games were at home, but I see this unit translating on the road, too, in the right context. I’m not at all ready to call them championship ready, but beating up on the little guys? Yes.

Also worth considering: Northwestern team total UNDER 9.5 points (+105)

Oregon’s defense has allowed only two red zone trips. The Wildcats are averaging only 4.5 yards per pass with five turnovers in two games. Oregon’s defense isn’t flashy, but it forces long drives and eliminates explosive plays, allowing just three gains of 20+ yards so far.

Northwestern will need to string together 10-play drives against a top defense that collapses early downs and limits red-zone access. The Ducks might clip the Wildcats’ whiskers and leave Evanston with a shutout.

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Bet to make: New Mexico +15.5

We need to stop pretending UCLA has shown us anything that warrants laying more than two touchdowns.

UCLA’s defense has been a problem, giving up a third-down conversion rate of 70%, fourth worst in the country. That means opponents stay on the field, bleed clock and keep games close.

New Mexico is 130th in rushing yards, but that raw number doesn’t tell the whole story when you look at context. Week 1 was at Michigan, one of the best defensive fronts in the country and Scottre Humphrey had just 10 carries for 33 yards which tanked their early rushing stats.

But in Week 2 against Idaho State, we finally saw the real picture: 18 carries, 141 yards, 7.8 YPC and a 61-yard burst, which is not atypical for Humphrey. In fact, he had nine 100-yard rushing games last year.

So is it enough to buy into New Mexico’s ground game here? Against UCLA, yes. UCLA’s run defense is dead last in success rate allowed and just got gashed for 286 rushing yards by Utah and 148 more by UNLV.

This matchup actually tilts toward Humphrey being a real factor again.

The key is game script. If UCLA jumps ahead by multiple scores early, Humphrey gets neutralized, forcing Jack Layne into obvious passing downs, which is not their strength. But if New Mexico can stay within one score into the second half, Humphrey is the player who keeps them competitive.

This isn’t a volume stat issue, it’s a matchup issue, and against UCLA the door is open. Continue fading the Bruins.

Almost halfway through September, the 2025 playoff picture is taking shape — but it might not be as set as it seemed just a couple of weeks ago.

No team has secured a postseason berth or even clinched a division, though a number of contenders have more than a 99% chance of making the playoffs. But races that seemed as if they might be over at the end of August are heating up again.

The Giants, who have won 13 of their past 17 games, have closed the gap on the Mets in the National League wild-card race and sit only two games back of the third spot, after it seemed as if San Francisco was out of the race entirely last month. The Rangers are on a similar track in the American League, just 1½ games back of the Mariners for the final wild card despite having multiple stars sidelined by injuries.

And there also are still a few exciting division races. The Yankees and Red Sox could still catch Toronto in the AL East, Seattle is only one game back of Houston in the AL West and the Dodgers and Padres remain locked in a battle in the NL West.

What else might the final weeks of the regular season bring?

Our expert panel has ranked every team based on a combination of what we’ve seen so far and what we already knew going into the 162-game marathon that is a full baseball season. We also asked ESPN MLB experts Jesse Rogers, Alden Gonzalez and David Schoenfield to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.

Week 23 | Second-half preview | Preseason rankings

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Record: 89-58
Previous ranking: 1

A series loss to the Rangers this week won’t dampen the spirits in Milwaukee after the Brewers’ weekend road sweep of the Pirates. Pitching was the name of the game in Pittsburgh as the Brewers gave up a total of five runs in the three games — none of which were started by top pitcher Freddy Peralta. A healthy Milwaukee rotation has a plethora of choices for the postseason from Quinn Priester to Brandon Woodruff to Jacob Misiorowski to Jose Quintana — any of whom could pitch after Peralta. With a first-round bye that gets the Brewers straight to the division round on the horizon, they can set up their rotation any way they see fit. — Rogers

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Record: 86-60
Previous ranking: 2

Kyle Schwarber has reached the 50 home run mark in a season for the first time in his career and it couldn’t have come at a better time, considering he’s a free agent this winter. After signing a four-year, $79 million deal with the Phillies when he was 29 in 2022, Schwarber is going to be one of those rare guys who signs a bigger deal in his early-to-mid 30s. He has shown no signs of aging, as evidenced by his most productive years coming after turning 30 in 2023. Schwarber is in line for a contract well over $100 million. — Rogers

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Record: 82-64
Previous ranking: 3

The Dodgers welcomed Max Muncy back Monday, then Alex Vesia on Tuesday and Tommy Edman on Wednesday. Brock Stewart and Dalton Rushing, meanwhile, should return within the next week or two. The Dodgers have been shockingly subpar for a while now, going 1-5 on a trip through Pittsburgh and Baltimore last week and sitting three games below .500 since the start of July. But they maintain that their best baseball remains ahead of them. It needs to be. The Dodgers will welcome the Phillies to L.A. for three games next week. The Dodgers basically have to sweep Philly to have any hope of grabbing the No. 2 seed and avoiding the wild-card round. — Gonzalez

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Record: 84-62
Previous ranking: 5

As the Tigers look for somebody to step up as the No. 2 starter behind Tarik Skubal for the playoffs, Casey Mize has had back-to-back solid starts against good offensive teams after posting a 7.20 ERA over his previous eight starts. He held the Mets to one run in five innings and then the Yankees to two runs in six innings (on two solo home runs) — and he didn’t walk a batter in either start. Meanwhile, Kyle Finnegan, who came over from the Nationals at the deadline, continues to excel in the bullpen, having not yet given up a run in his 14⅓ innings with the Tigers (and giving up only three hits with 19 strikeouts). — Schoenfield

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Record: 83-62
Previous ranking: 6

George Springer continues to have an under-the-radar great offensive season. He ranks third in the majors in wRC+ at 160 — just ahead of Juan Soto, Cal Raleigh and Kyle Schwarber. He’s also hitting .300 — there are only seven players hitting .300 and three of them are on the Blue Jays — and closing in on 100 runs scored. Over the past decade, only Nelson Cruz and David Ortiz had a wRC+ that high at age 35 or older. The key? Springer opened his stance a bit this year, creating a more vertical bat angle that has produced the lowest groundball rate of his career. — Schoenfield

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Record: 80-65
Previous ranking: 7

The Yankees won two of three at home against Toronto over the weekend to move to within two games of the Blue Jays atop the AL East — only to give it back Tuesday in a dreadful performance against the Tigers that drew boos from the home fans.

Tied 2-2 in the seventh, the Tigers scored eight runs before the Yankees recorded an out as Fernando Cruz and Mark Leiter Jr. got scorched. The inning featured four walks, a hit batter and a wild pitch. Cruz had given up only one run in seven appearances since returning from the injured list and had pitched his way into a high-leverage role, but now manager Aaron Boone will have to wonder about his consistency in a bullpen that continues to frustrate. — Schoenfield

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Record: 83-63
Previous ranking: 4

Injuries are a current storyline for the Cubs, but they are focused on October, so getting All-Star right fielder Kyle Tucker (calf) and closer Daniel Palencia (shoulder) right is their priority for the rest of September. Palencia needed a reset after imploding in his last game before leaving because of soreness. His absence actually underscores how important right-hander Brad Keller is — and will be — to the team heading into the playoffs. Keller is their tough out-getter and will get innings at the most important times of the game. That potentially includes the ninth inning, if Palencia shows further cracks when he returns. — Rogers

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Record: 81-66
Previous ranking: 8

Aroldis Chapman‘s season keeps getting better and better — as in, one of the best relief seasons ever. Before giving up one run and two hits in getting the loss on Wednesday, he not only hadn’t given up a run over his previous 17 appearances (a span of 14⅔ innings) but hadn’t given up a hit either. Batters are 2-for-52 against him since J.T. Realmuto‘s home run July 23. Since May 28, Chapman has given up only three runs (two earned) in 34⅓ innings. He has blown only one save opportunity all season and batters are hitting .122 off him — which is just above Kirby Yates‘ .113 average from last season as the lowest ever with a minimum of 50 innings pitched. — Schoenfield

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Record: 79-67
Previous ranking: 9

For as talented as the Padres’ roster looks since the trade deadline, their offense still lacks punch. And it’s not hard to see why. Since the start of August, Fernando Tatis Jr., Luis Arraez and Manny Machado — the three players who make up the top three spots in the lineup — are slashing a combined .227/.297/.338. Machado, in particular, has produced only a .193 batting average in that stretch, and he’s just 4-for-37 since the start of September. Padres manager Mike Shildt expressed confidence in his star third baseman recently, telling reporters: “He’ll figure it out. He’s Manny Machado.” He needs to be. — Gonzalez

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Record: 79-67
Previous ranking: 11

On Tuesday, Luis Garcia exited his second start since a 28-month recovery from Tommy John surgery because of elbow discomfort, after throwing his fastball around 90 mph. Garcia will undergo further imaging to determine his prognosis, but, well, it doesn’t sound good. And the Astros can ill afford more pitching injuries. Three of their starters — Ronel Blanco, Hayden Wesneski and Brandon Walter — have required season-ending elbow surgeries, and fellow starter Spencer Arrighetti will sit out at least the rest of the regular season because of an elbow injury. Three relievers — Kaleb Ort, Bennett Sousa and All-Star closer Josh Hader, who’s dealing with a strained capsule in his shoulder — will, too. — Gonzalez

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Record: 76-70
Previous ranking: 10

The Mets can kiss any shot at the NL East title goodbye after getting beat up by Philadelphia this week. Can they still hold onto a wild-card berth? They simply can’t shake the teams behind them, mostly because their starting staff is a mess, ranking in the bottom third of the majors in ERA since the All-Star break. Sean Manaea was knocked around as the Phillies got to him for four runs in five innings Tuesday. It actually wasn’t a terrible start for him, as he has struggled much of the season and was coming off a rough outing against the Tigers. Can he find his rhythm again before October? Doubts remain. — Rogers

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Record: 78-68
Previous ranking: 12

The Mariners surged coming out of a busy trade deadline, winning nine of 10. But then they dropped 15 of 21 games, seemingly letting a premium opportunity to claim their first division title in 24 years slip right past them. They’ve since surged again, winning five straight — including a 28-run barrage in two games against the Braves last weekend — to put them just one game back of the Astros for the top spot in the AL West. The Mariners will be in Houston for three games starting Sept. 19. That series might decide the division. — Gonzalez

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Record: 77-70
Previous ranking: 13

The Rangers have vaulted back into the race thanks, in large part, to players who weren’t expected to have much impact, if any, on their season. With Marcus Semien, Corey Seager, Adolis Garcia and Evan Carter all on the IL, it has been the likes of Michael Helman, Alejandro Osuna, Cody Freeman, Dustin Harris and Ezequiel Duran picking up the slack offensively. Jacob Latz, meanwhile, has filled in admirably for injured starter Nathan Eovaldi. The Rangers thrived amid a tough homestand against the Astros and Brewers and now embark on what could be a season-defining trip to play the Mets and, once again, the Astros. — Gonzalez

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Record: 74-72
Previous ranking: 17

The sheer randomness of this 2025 season is probably best exemplified by the Giants. They were 41-30 on June 14, then went out and traded for Rafael Devers and looked to be legitimate championship contenders. Then, they went 13-25 through the end of July, traded away veteran players and essentially punted on the season. They then won five of seven, jumping back into the mix. That was followed up by losing 11 of 13 and falling way out of it. Since then, the Giants have a 13-4 record and currently sit only two games back of a wild-card spot. Seven of their next 10 games will come against the Dodgers. Amazing. — Gonzalez

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Record: 74-71
Previous ranking: 18

The Guardians are suddenly back in the thick of the wild-card race, leaping over Tampa Bay and Kansas City after winning the final three games against the Rays and then taking the first two games against the Royals to begin the week. Against the Royals on Monday, Slade Cecconi took a no-hitter into the eighth inning before giving up a leadoff single. On Tuesday, Joey Cantillo matched Cecconi with eight scoreless innings. It was the first time Cleveland starters had pitched eight innings on consecutive days since Zach Plesac and Aaron Civale in 2020. — Schoenfield

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Record: 74-72
Previous ranking: 14

Other than an 11-2 win over the Twins on Saturday, the Kansas City offense has sputtered the past week as the Royals failed to make up ground in the wild-card race (and saw the Guardians pass them). If they do end up falling a game or two short, the decision to push Jac Caglianone to the majors in June will be a key failure. Among players with at least 150 PAs, Caglianone has the third-lowest wRC+ in the majors — unfortunately, he’s tied with teammate Michael Massey, who has received even more playing time. Caglianone is 3-for-17 with two RBIs since returning from the IL and is hitting .176/.364/.176. — Schoenfield

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Record: 74-72
Previous ranking: 15

Cincinnati has had every chance to close the gap on the Mets in the wild-card race, but each time, the Reds have squandered it. Their bullpen just hasn’t been able to match their starting staff since the All-Star break, ranking in the bottom half of the majors in ERA over that span. Last Wednesday’s defeat in Toronto is a good example. Cincinnati was up 5-0 but eventually lost 13-9. And though the Reds’ 19-21 record in one-run games doesn’t sound awful, if they miss out on the postseason by a slim margin, some of those losses will undoubtedly linger in Cincinnati. — Rogers

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Record: 72-73
Previous ranking: 16

The Rays’ wild-card momentum peaked last Thursday with a win over Cleveland, putting them just two games out of the third wild-card spot, but the Guardians then took the next three games in the series as Tampa Bay scored only four runs in the three losses. Jonathan Aranda‘s injury has been a big blow to the offense. When he played his last game on July 31, the Rays were averaging 4.6 runs. Since then, they’ve averaged under 4.3. — Schoenfield

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Record: 73-74
Previous ranking: 19

Zac Gallen passed Robbie Ray for third place on the D-backs’ all-time strikeout list Tuesday — while starting against none other than Ray, now a member of the Giants — and sits only 66 shy of Brandon Webb’s 1,065 for second place. Whether he will actually get the opportunity to catch him is the interesting part. Gallen, 30, is a free agent at season’s end, but he’ll also be coming off a subpar 2025 campaign. The D-backs might face a tough decision on whether to extend the qualifying offer to Gallen this offseason. And he will certainly face a tough decision on whether to take it. — Gonzalez

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Record: 72-75
Previous ranking: 20

While giving runway to their young position players this season has worked out well for the Cardinals, the same can’t be said about their rotation. Younger starters Matthew Liberatore and Andre Pallante haven’t exactly put up zeros on the scoreboard. Pallante, especially, has been vexing, as he was coming off a decent 2024 campaign in which he posted a 3.78 ERA. That number jumping to 5.28 in 2025 tells the story of his season, even though his walk rate is the lowest of his career. Unfortunately, the exit velocity on balls hit off him is a career high, so being in the zone more hasn’t translated to outs as much as he and the Cardinals might have liked. — Rogers

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Record: 68-77
Previous ranking: 25

The Orioles had one of the most dramatic wins of 2025 — for any team — on Saturday. Jackson Holliday broke up Yoshinobu Yamamoto‘s no-hit bid with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and then the Orioles rallied for three more runs off the Dodgers’ bullpen for a walk-off 4-3 victory. Baltimore is the first team in the expansion era (since 1961) to be no-hit for 8⅔ innings and trailing in the game, and then win it. Oh, and the O’s also had walk-off wins on Friday (Samuel Basallo‘s home run) and Tuesday (Basallo’s RBI hit in the 11th). — Schoenfield

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Record: 65-81
Previous ranking: 23

Spencer Strider looked better in an eight-strikeout performance against the Cubs on Tuesday, but he still isn’t close to his previous form. Strider’s fastball has lost its edge so he’s trying to get outs in different ways — at least in this first season since recovering from his latest elbow surgery. The eight K’s came one start after a game in which he whiffed only one batter, leading him to shave his signature mustache. Strider’s 4.86 ERA tells the story of his season as does his pedestrian (for him) 114 strikeouts in 107⅓ innings pitched. — Rogers

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Record: 67-80
Previous ranking: 24

While a lot of the attention has been absorbed — rightly — by Nick Kurtz, teammate Jacob Wilson is once again making a run at the batting title. Since returning from the IL on Aug. 22, Wilson has collected 24 hits in 67 at-bats, raising his batting average to 319 — now tied with Aaron Judge for the American League lead. No A’s player has won the batting title since Ferris Fain claimed a second straight in 1952. “It’s definitely a goal for the end of the season,” Wilson told MLB.com. — Gonzalez

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Record: 67-79
Previous ranking: 21

Jakob Marsee followed his rookie of the month award with a hot start to September, as he had hits in six of his past seven games. He has become a mainstay in the Marlins’ lineup after hitting .352 in August. Marsee continues to show power as well, slugging two doubles and a home run this week against the Nationals. He won’t win Rookie of the Year, but he has set himself up to be the everyday center fielder in Miami for the foreseeable future. — Rogers

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Record: 69-77
Previous ranking: 22

Mike Trout has been sitting at 398 career home runs since Aug. 8, while in the midst of a 28-game homerless drought that has now surpassed his previous career high (27 in 2015). During that stretch, he is slashing just .213/.380/.255. The 34-year-old will finish the season having played in more games than he has in six years, but he’s also on pace for his lowest OPS (currently .789) since his 40-game major league debut in 2011. Trout has been relegated to designated hitter since sitting out most of May because of discomfort in his twice surgically repaired left knee. — Gonzalez

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Record: 64-82
Previous ranking: 26

It hasn’t been the best of seasons for Royce Lewis, as his numbers are down from 2023 and 2024, although he has at least managed to play his most games in a season. A product of JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano, California, Lewis grew up an Angels fan and went to games at Angel Stadium but had played only one game there — and that was in high school. He finally played his first big league game there Monday — and hit two home runs. “I made my dream come true,” he said. — Schoenfield

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Record: 64-82
Previous ranking: 27

Among the several deficiencies at the plate for the Pirates, the catcher position is at the top of the list. They have only eight home runs from catchers this season, tied for last in MLB. And remember, they employ two catchers who were drafted No. 1 and No. 2 in their respective drafts. Henry Davis is hitting .161 this season and Joey Bart has only two home runs in 301 plate appearances. Add that to the list of issues the Pirates need to address this winter. — Rogers

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Record: 60-85
Previous ranking: 28

Washington finally woke up in the second half of the season, winning a road series against the Cubs in Chicago over the weekend and then one in Miami this week. Josh Bell led the way, hitting four home runs, including a ninth-inning blast that helped win Sunday’s game against the Cubs. It was a stunner as the Nats scored five times in the final inning off of Chicago’s closer, turning a potential loss into one of the best wins of their season. Outfielder Daylen Lile also had a big week, hitting .409 with a 1.390 OPS. Maybe there is hope for the Nationals next season as they employ a host of talented young players. — Rogers

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Record: 56-90
Previous ranking: 29

Last Friday’s win over the Tigers was the sixth in a row for the White Sox — their longest winning streak since an eight-game streak in September 2022. Indeed, with a 6-2 record to start September, they have a chance at their first winning month since going 15-14 in May 2023. Rookie catcher Kyle Teel has been a big key to the recent success, hitting .362/.470/.623 with five home runs and 16 RBIs over his last 19 games. Teel, Edgar Quero, Colson Montgomery and Chase Meidroth each have at least 1.5 WAR. The last team with four rookie position players with at least 1.5 WAR? The 1946 Reds. — Schoenfield

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Record: 40-106
Previous ranking: 30

The Rockies suffered triple-digit losses for the first time in their history in 2023, finishing with 103. On Sunday, they matched that total, securing a third consecutive 100-plus-loss season with 19 games still remaining. But their focus, with the youngest roster in the majors, is on process. As interim manager Warren Schaeffer told reporters recently: “The Rockies are a young team that is pushing every night to win ballgames and learning, and never giving in and moving forward to someday, hopefully soon in the near future, being a winning ballclub.” — Gonzalez