The most important players for contending MLB teams in September: Aaron Judge, Kyle Teel, Joe Musgrove, more

Whether they're injured players coming back or disappointing players looking to turn it around, these could be the deciding factors for their teams Sep 2, 2026 at 9:03 am ET • 6 min read Three weeks and four days remain in the 2025 MLB regular season. Postseason races and awards races must be settled between now and Sept. 27, the season's final day. Teams out of the race will audition youngsters in the season's waning days as they run out the clock and get a head start on planning for next season. Soon, the postseason will arrive. Here now are 10 players (11, really) critical to their team's success the rest of the season and into October. OF Roman Anthony, Red SoxIt is impressive that the Red Sox have made their charge up the standings mostly without Anthony, who returned this past weekend from a nearly four-month absence with hand and wrist issues. He doubled in his first at-bat back, which seems like a good omen. As good as they are, the Red Sox lack a true star player on offense. Anthony can be that player. We saw it at times last season. It's perhaps not fair to put so much on a 22-year-old yet to play 110 MLB games, let alone 162, but Anthony is supremely talented and one of the brightest young hitters in the game. He'll be counted on to drive the Red Sox offense the rest of the way. SP Corbin Burnes, DiamondbacksTommy John surgery and later a shoulder issue have kept Burnes off a major-league mound since last June 1. He started a minor-league rehab assignment this past weekend, though, retired all six batters he faced in Triple-A, and is nearing a return to the D-backs. Burnes is likely to make a few more rehab starts before slotting into Arizona's rotation in the middle of the month. The D-backs are fighting with the NL West rival Padres for the third wild-card spot. Getting even two starts out of Burnes later this month could be what pushes them over the hump. Zac Gallen (elbow) is also on a rehab assignment and expected back this month. 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue JaysIt says as much about Toronto's talent and resilience as it does the state of the American League that the Blue Jays are in the thick of the wild-card hunt while getting this season from Guerrero. He still hasn't hit a home run at Rogers Centre and he's under 1 WAR as September begins. I can't help but wonder if he's playing hurt. It's been that bad. It's too late now for Guerrero to save his season stats, but a good month to close out the season might push the Blue Jays into the third wild-card spot and into the postseason. As long as you have a bat in your hand, you have a chance to change the narrative, and Vlad Jr. badly needs a narrative change. SS Gunnar Henderson, OriolesWith a typical Henderson season, the O's are probably firmly in postseason position rather than battling for the third wild-card spot. He's been fighting to a draw as a league-average hitter most of the season, though there are signs Henderson is coming around. Two of his three four-hit games have come within the last two weeks and his strikeout rate is trending down. Pete Alonso has put the Orioles on his back over the last few weeks. He's doing all he can to drag this team to October. Henderson playing up to expectations would be more than Robin to Alonso's Batman. He would be a second Batman, and the O's need it this month. RF Aaron Judge, YankeesThe Yankees have fielded a bottom 10 offense since Judge last played on May 31. He's been sidelined with a fractured rib and is just now ramping up his rehab work, including hitting in the cage. The Yankees have declined to put a firm timetable on Judge's return, but manager Aaron Boone hinted recently that the homestand that begins next week is a possible target. Few players in the game are as important to their team as the reigning two-time AL MVP. It's a different vibe when Judge is in the lineup and a much, much more dangerous offense. At minimum, Judge will help the Yankees in the postseason. He could also help them make a late charge in the AL East race. SP Tyler Mahle, BravesSpencer Schwellenbach (elbow fracture) and Hurston Waldrep (Tommy John surgery) need season-ending surgeries and Spencer Strider (elbow inflammation) is at best questionable to return this season. Atlanta's rotation is unsettled behind Chris Sale, and that's putting it generously. Mahle has been excellent since coming over at the trade deadline with under-the-hood metrics that (mostly) support his sparkling surface stats. The Braves ramped up his splitter usage and put his slider on the shelf. Mahle won't pitch to a sub-2.00 ERA with Atlanta the rest of the year, but he's putting himself in position to start Game 2 of the postseason. SP Joe Musgrove and SP Nick Pivetta, PadresThere have been times this season when it wasn't clear how the Padres, even with their lockdown bullpen, would get to the finish line of a nine-inning game. The rotation was dicey even before Pivetta exited his fourth start with a flexor strain back in April. Casey Mize and Robbie Ray were added at the deadline and soon Pivetta and Musgrove, the latter of whom hasn't pitched since Game 2 of the 2024 Wild Card Series due to Tommy John surgery and setbacks, will join the rotation. Both right-handers are on minor-league rehab assignments and expected back soon. San Diego has pitching help on the way as they fight for the third wild-card spot. C Cal Raleigh, MarinersIt's fair to call Raleigh the most disappointing player on the most disappointing team in baseball. No one reasonably expected him to hit 60 home runs again (no one does that), but it was reasonable to expect more than this. A recent swing change has Raleigh looking more like himself at the plate. There is no chance -- zero -- the Mariners can reach the postseason without their catcher making an impact in September. Beyond that, Raleigh and the Mariners need to feel good about where he's at heading into the offseason, rather than still wondering what's wrong. There can be positives to take from September even if Seattle misses the postseason. C Will Smith, DodgersA neck injury that was initially believed to be minor sidelined Smith for close to three months. He returned on Tuesday and should boost a Dodgers offense that has lagged the last two months or so, and is particularly light on right-handed punch with Andy Pages injured. Los Angeles is in no danger of missing the postseason. They are competing for a Wild Card Series bye, though, plus Smith needs time to knock off the rust after such a long absence. He's a very important player for the Dodgers and was vital to their two World Series wins. There's little chance they can three-peat without Smith being a major contributor. C Kyle Teel, White SoxA hamstring injury in the World Baseball Classic and an ankle injury in July have limited Teel to 19 games this season. During his absence, the White Sox have received the third-worst catcher production in the sport (29th in WAR) and also some of the worst catcher luck. They traded for Joey Bart at the deadline, then he got hit by a pitch and suffered a broken hand in his third game with the team. Teel is on a minor-league rehab assignment and expected back any day now. When he returns, he should give the AL Central-leading ChiSox a major upgrade behind the plate as they head into their first postseason since 2021.