Don’t panic just yet…but your team may need to start winning some games sooner than later if you’re still hopeful about a deep postseason run.

We’re nearly a week out from the final month of the regular season with so much still to be decided in the coming weeks. This leads to the perfect time to check in on who is thriving and who is, well…not.

We’re also in Williamsport this week for the Little League World Series! With Aram and Peter out there covering one of the most fun baseball events of the year, we figured we’d highlight some of the top stories out there.

As always, remember to check out the Just Baseball Show and everything else we’ve got going on at Just Baseball🫡

MLB Team Stock Watch

The clock is ticking for many teams and players right now, so let’s look at who is trending each direction in recent weeks.

Stock Up: Young AL Hitters

The last few weeks have seen young star hitters in the American League pop off. After a brutal first half, second-half Julio Rodriguez has struck again with a scorching past month of baseball. Meanwhile, the other co-leader in OPS over the past 15 days has joined ELITE company for his power at such a young age.

The young hitters in Sacramento have not slowed down, with Nick Kurtz essentially locking up AL Rookie of the Year, and the likes of Tyler Soderstrom and Shea Langeliers mashing right alongside him.

Stock Down: AL West

While a pair of teams in this division are considered to be among the top contenders in the league, it has been ROUGH in the past week. (Unless you’re an A’s fan, in which case congrats on 7-3 in your last 10!)

The Astros have lost four straight and the Mariners have lost five straight as whoever pulls ahead has now fallen significantly behind Detroit and Toronto for a first-round bye. Both of these teams certainly have what it takes to make a deep run on paper, but they may have to get through the Wild Card round now.

How sick would it be for the Astros and Mariners to face off in the first round though?!

Stock Up: Tigers

After a period of some struggle in July for the top team in the American League, Detroit has found their groove once again, winning eight of their last 10 and stretching their division lead back up to 10 games.

They’re in a tight race for the top seed in the AL right now, leading Toronto by 1.5 games, but they can just about cruise to their first AL Central title since 2014.

Stock Down: Kyle Tucker and PCA

Two of the game’s top superstars in the first half of the season who led the Cubs to being one of the best teams in baseball, have fallen off a cliff in contrast to their early season numbers. The pair have below hit below the Mendoza Line with no homers between them in the past two weeks.

However, this could be shifting as PCA has ticked up this week and it was revealed that Kyle Tucker had a hairline fracture he decided to play through in June, but he is now taking a few days off to regroup.

Stock Up: Yankees

New York experienced a serious fall from the top, losing the division lead to Toronto and falling to third in the AL East at one point. Now, they’ve won five straight and are very much still alive in the division as they trail the Blue Jays by just four games.

A huge reason for this hot stretch: Giancarlo Stanton playing like he’s in his prime.

Stock Down: Arms Struggling

A number of star pitchers have been going through it in recent weeks. Spencer Strider has just not been himself this year, and his latest outing in which he allowed seven runs in three innings to the White Sox was hard to watch.

After elected to sign him to a two-year extension rather than trade him, Seth Lugo has hit a wall. He bounced back a little this week, but still has an 8.05 ERA in the month of August. With the Royals hoping to squeak into the playoffs via a Wild Card spot, this is less than ideal.

Some of the top arms traded at the deadline have not found their footing with the new team, headlined by Ryan Helsley. He has not been himself since being traded to the Mets with a 7.11 ERA in his first eight appearances.

Just Baseball Trivia of the Week

Our newsletter will have a trivia question every week to test and expand the baseball knowledge of our subscribers! The answer to the weekly trivia question will be at the bottom of the newsletter each week.

Which U.S. state has won the second-most LLWS Championships behind California?

A) Pennsylvania

B) Connecticut

C) New Jersey

D) Hawaii

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Little League World Series

The Little League World Series is one of the purest forms of baseball, and that’s why we decided to get in on the fun this year! For those who haven’t gotten to watch much, let’s get you caught up.

Connecticut Reaches United States Final🔥

It has been a dominant run for the Metro Region representative as they have allowed just five runs across four games, winning every game.

They have defeated some of the typical top regions and have a chance to win their first championship as a state since 1989 with two more wins!

Taiwan Has Been Equally Dominant😤

On the international side of the bracket, the representative of Asia-Pacific region has cruised to the International Championship.

They shut out two quality contenders in Mexico and Aruba prior to beating Venezuela yesterday. They have 17 championships all-time and will look for their 18th with a couple more wins. Oh, and they have a kid doing this at 12 years old.

Japan and Hawaii Exit Early😮

If you grew up watching the LLWS like us, you remember the Japan region and the West region, usually either Hawaii or California, absolutely dominating most years. Since the turn of the century, Japan has appeared in 11 championship games while the West region has made it to nine.

This year, they both exited early and didn’t even make it to their final three on their respective side of the bracket. Teams across the world have gotten better in recent years, further highlighting the rise of baseball internationally!

Final Six Teams

Connecticut, South Carolina, and Nevada in U.S. Bracket

Taiwan, Venezuela, and Aruba in International Bracket

Check out Peter’s breakdown of the top MLB players to play in the LLWS and make sure to use code “JUSTBASEBALL” at Chinook Seedery for 10% off your order!

Other Headlines

• The Pirates are calling up one of the top prospects in baseball, Bubba Chandler! Read more on Chandler here.

• Zack Wheeler is hitting the IL with a blood cot near his throwing shoulder. We’re wishing a speedy recovery to one of baseball’s best and most dependable arms.

Just Baseball Discord

We launched a Just Baseball community on Discord!

Our Discord channel is the ultimate baseball group chat while also providing exclusive access to Peter’s MLB best bets, Aram’s prospect content, giveaways, and direct connection to the entire Just Baseball staff.

Read all the details about our Discord community here.

Trivia Answer: E) Trick question! Tied

Sorry, folks. Had to do it to you. These four states are all tied with four championships each behind California’s eight championships.

However, Taiwan (17) and Japan (11) have the most all-time when including international teams.

Just Baseball Merch

Our newest line of merchandise features Adidas performance gear!

We have also restocked on all your favorites including our vintage World Series line, hats, hoodies, City Series line, spring line, and much more.

Check out the full collection of Just Baseball swag here!