The final week of August is upon us, and the MLB playoff push is in full swing. Clear lines are starting to be drawn between the contenders and the pretenders.

As it stands, 15 teams are still clinging to a legitimate hope of making the playoffs, five others hovering around the .500 mark on life support, and 10 teams are set to turn their full focus to the 2025 season over the final month.

That means at least three teams are headed for disappointment, and potentially more if someone from the "hanging on by a thread" group gets hot at the right time and surges up the standings.

Meanwhile, award races are heating up and individual milestones are grabbing headlines, with Aaron Judge hitting his 50th home run and Shohei Ohtani joining the 40/40 club last week.

Here's an updated look at where all 30 teams stand, with the calendar set to flip to September and the postseason looming in the distance.

Nos. 30-21: The 'Next Year Is Here' Tier

30. Chicago White Sox (31-100)
29. Miami Marlins (47-83)
28. Colorado Rockies (48-83)
27. Los Angeles Angels (54-77)
26. Oakland Athletics (56-75)
25. Washington Nationals (59-72)
24. Texas Rangers (60-71)
23. Toronto Blue Jays (63-68)
22. Cincinnati Reds (63-68)
21. Pittsburgh Pirates (62-68)

The White Sox tallied their 100th loss of the season on Sunday, and they will need to go 12-19 the rest of the way to avoid tying the 1962 New York Mets for the most losses in the modern era.

Meanwhile, the Marlins, Rockies, and Angels went a combined 4-15 last week with six series losses between them. While they are not on track for all-time futility, they also belong in the bottom tier of teams leaguewide.

Sluggers Brent Rooker (.815 OPS, 4 HR, 10 RBI) and JJ Bleday (.834 OPS, 5 HR, 12 RBI) have performed well in August for the Athletics, and they have been a pair of positive takeaways for an Oakland squad that still has a long way to go rebuilding.

The Nationals and Rangers each picked up a series win last week, besting the Rockies and Pirates at home before dropping their weekend matchups on the road. Who would have guessed we'd be talking about those two teams side-by-side when the season began?

A four-game sweep of the Angels was enough for the Blue Jays to move up two spots, but it's hard not to think the window has slammed shut and an offseason retooling is in order. Will Wagner and Joey Loperfido have both shown potential since they were acquired in the Yusei Kikuchi deal, and they should get a long look over the final month.

The Pirates took three of four from the Reds over the weekend, but both teams have fallen far enough out of the wild-card race to include them in this tier. The 2024 season may not have gone as hoped, but there is reason for excitement looking to the future for both fanbases.

Nos. 20-16: The 'Still a Faint Pulse' Tier

20. Detroit Tigers (65-66)
19. Tampa Bay Rays (65-65)
18. San Francisco Giants (66-66)
17. Chicago Cubs (65-66)
16. St. Louis Cardinals (65-65)

The 2024 season has largely been disappointing for the five teams in this group. However, the Tigers are on track to better last year's 78-84 finish and have plenty left to play for. Tarik Skubal is chasing AL Cy Young honors, and the club is eyeing its first winning season since 2016.

According to Tankathon, the Rays have the second-toughest remaining schedule, which puts them in a prime position to play spoiler. They still have to face the Red Sox (x6), Guardians (x4), Twins (x4), Orioles (x3), Padres (x3), and Phillies (x3) the rest of the way, with just six games left against teams with a losing record.

The Giants have never gotten hot for long enough to make a serious push up the wild-card standings, with their season-high winning streak standing at just four games. They have also been a different team at home (38-28, +14 run differential) than they are on the road (28-38, -26 run differential).

While the NL Central once looked like a legitimate five-team race, it is now the Milwaukee Brewers and then everyone else, with the Cardinals and Cubs set to battle it out for second place in the standings. Both teams picked up a pair of series wins last week, with the Cardinals knocking off a pair of playoff contenders in the Brewers and Twins.

Nos. 15-11: The 'On the Playoff Bubble' Tier

15. Seattle Mariners (66-65)
14. Boston Red Sox (67-62)
13. New York Mets (68-63)
12. Atlanta Braves (70-60)
11. Minnesota Twins (72-58)

The Mariners are closer to the AL West lead (four games) than they are to a wild-card spot (6.5 games), and that's the only thing keeping them from slipping down the next tier of teams below this group. They rebounded from getting swept by the Dodgers with a series win over the Giants, but they have still gone just 7-12 in their last 19 games.

A three-game sweep at the hands of the Diamondbacks was a major blow for the Red Sox as they try to hang around in the AL wild-card picture. Rafael Devers hit his 200th career home run on Sunday, becoming the youngest player in Red Sox history to reach that milestone.

The Mets and Braves look poised to battle it out for the final NL wild-card spot as things stand. They meet head-to-head just once more this year for three games in Atlanta on Sept. 24-26, and the season series is knotted 5-5 through their first 10 games.

The Twins are in a less precarious position. They are tied with the Royals for the second AL wild-card with a 4.5-game cushion over the Red Sox heading into Monday's action. Series losses to the Padres and Cardinals kept them out of the Top 10 this time around, and they will look to get back on track at home against the Braves and Blue Jays this week.

Nos. 10-9

10. Houston Astros (70-60)

Previous Rank: 10

Last Week: 1-2 vs. BOS, 2-2 @ BAL

Someone has to win the AL West, and it's looking more and more like that someone is going to be the Astros thanks to a summer swoon from the Seattle Mariners.

Starting pitching was a question mark for much of the year, but with Framber Valdez (7 GS, 5-1, 2.40 ERA, 57 K, 45.0 IP) and Hunter Brown (7 GS, 4-1, 2.14 ERA, 46 K, 42.0 IP) throwing the ball as well as anyone since the All-Star break and deadline pickup Yusei Kikuchi (5 GS, 2-0, 2.89 ERA, 35 K, 28.0) also looking sharp, it has suddenly become a strength.

9. Kansas City Royals (72-58)

Previous Rank: 11

Last Week: 2-1 vs. LAA, 1-2 vs. PHI

The Royals have the AL's best record since the All-Star break at 20-13, and entering play on Monday, they had a 79.7 percent chance of reaching the postseason, according to FanGraphs. It would be their first trip to the playoffs since they won it all in 2015.

While Bobby Witt Jr. has grabbed headlines with an MVP-caliber season, Vinnie Pasquantino deserves credit for the job he has done protecting him out of the No. 3 spot in the lineup. The 26-year-old first baseman is hitting .266/.321/.452 with 30 doubles, 18 home runs, and 96 RBI, and he has a .883 OPS with six home runs and 24 RBI in August.

Nos. 8-7

8. San Diego Padres (74-58)

Previous Rank: 7

Last Week: 2-1 vs. MIN, 2-2 vs. NYM

Starter Martin Perez (5 GS, 2.70 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 26.2 IP) and relievers Jason Adam (11 G, 2 HLD, 0.82 ERA, 13.9 K/9) and Tanner Scott (11 G, 5 HLD, 3.38 ERA, 10.1 K/9) have each made their mark since they were acquired at the trade deadline, shoring up the San Diego pitching staff.

They were just four games over .500 on June 30, but they have gone 28-16 since the start of July to solidify their standing as a playoff team.

Given how well the trio of Dylan Cease, Michael King and Joe Musgrove is pitching right now, they could be a tough draw in a best-of-five scenario.

7. Cleveland Guardians (75-55)

Previous Rank: 6

Last Week: 1-2 @ NYY, 2-1 vs. TEX

The Guardians rank 23rd in the majors with a .674 OPS in August, but they continue to find ways to win while navigating a somewhat precarious starting rotation that saw deadline addition Alex Cobb head back to the injured list last week.

Rookie Jhonkensy Noel has a .965 OPS with 12 home runs in 41 games, giving the offense a major shot in the arm while staking his claim to the primary right field job. He has provided much-needed offensive support alongside the trio of José Ramírez, Josh Naylor and Steven Kwan.

Nos. 6-5

6. Milwaukee Brewers (75-55)

Previous Rank: 4

Last Week: 1-2 @ STL, 2-1 @ OAK

The Brewers have built a commanding 10-game lead in the NL Central standings while going 14-8 in August, and what once looked like a patchwork starting rotation is now a bona fide strength with Freddy Peralta, Colin Rea and Tobias Myers joined by Aaron Civale and Frankie Montas at the deadline.

Rookie Jackson Chourio is hitting .336/.374/.557 with 15 extra-base hits since the All-Star break, and he has settled into the No. 2 spot in the batting order. His increased production has helped lessen the blow of losing Christian Yelich after he underwent season-ending back surgery.

5. Arizona Diamondbacks (75-56)

Previous Rank: 8

Last Week: 3-0 @ MIA, 3-0 @ BOS

On July 22, the D-backs were one game above .500 with a 51-50 record, and if the season had ended that day, they would have finished sixth in the wild-card standings and missed the postseason.

Since then, they have gone 24-6 over their last 30 games to fly up the standings and position themselves as a virtual lock to have a shot at defending last year's surprise NL pennant.

The fact that they are doing it with Jordan Montgomery demoted to the bullpen, Paul Sewald removed from the closer's role, and Ketel Marte, Christian Walker and Gabriel Moreno all on the injured list speaks to their impressive overall depth.

Nos. 4-3

4. Baltimore Orioles (76-56)

Previous Rank: 2

Last Week: 1-2 @ NYM, 2-2 vs. HOU

The Orioles have been playing sub-500 baseball since early July, but they built a big enough cushion over the first three months of the season that, according to FanGraphs, they still have a 99.2 percent chance of making the playoffs.

While Corbin Burnes (4 GS, 8.71 ERA) and Trevor Rogers (4 GS, 7.11 ERA) have struggled this month, Albert Suárez remains a revelation. The 34-year-old has a 1.80 ERA in 25 innings this month and a 3.18 ERA in 102 innings this year in his first MLB action since 2017.

3. Philadelphia Phillies (76-54)

Previous Rank: 1

Last Week: 1-2 @ ATL, 2-1 @ KC

With Austin Hays and Ranger Suarez both activated from the injured list last week, the Phillies are at full strength outside of long reliever Spencer Turnbull who has been sidelined with a lat strain since June 26.

That will give them all of September to sort out bullpen roles, line up their starting rotation, and make any tweaks to their lineup, assuming they can stay healthy going forward. When everything is clicking, they might be the most complete team in baseball.

Nos. 2-1

2. Los Angeles Dodgers (78-53)

Previous Rank: 5

Last Week: 3-0 vs. SEA, 2-1 vs. TB

The season-long game of musical chairs in the Dodgers starting rotation might finally be sorted out with Clayton Kershaw, Jack Flaherty, Gavin Stone, Walker Buehler and Bobby Miller making up the current five-man staff.

The bullpen has also taken shape with the addition of Michael Kopech, while fellow deadline pickup Tommy Edman is also back healthy and splitting his time between shortstop and center field.

This Dodgers team has not been as dominant as in recent years, but they might be hitting their stride at the perfect time.

1. New York Yankees (77-54)

Previous Rank: 3

Last Week: 2-1 vs. CLE, 2-1 vs. COL

Much has been made about the Yankees' lack of consistent offensive production outside of Aaron Judge (1.948 OPS, 7 HR, 11 RBI) and Juan Soto (1.066 OPS, 3 HR, 8 RBI), but if the two superstars hit like they did last week, they are capable of shouldering the load on their own.

AL Rookie of the Year front-runner Luis Gil hit the injured list with a lower back strain last week, and rookie Will Warren, who has a 10.95 ERA in three spot starts this year, will be tasked with holding down his spot in the rotation.

Complete Rankings

Complete Rankings

1. New York Yankees (+2 spots)
2. Los Angeles Dodgers (+3 spots)
3. Philadelphia Phillies (-2 spots)
4. Baltimore Orioles (-2 spots)
5. Arizona Diamondbacks (+3 spots)
6. Milwaukee Brewers (-2 spots)
7. Cleveland Guardians (-1 spot)
8. San Diego Padres (-1 spot)
9. Kansas City Royals (+2 spots)
10. Houston Astros (-1 spot)
11. Minnesota Twins (-1 spot)
12. Atlanta Braves
13. New York Mets (+1 spot)
14. Boston Red Sox (-1 spot)
15. Seattle Mariners
16. St. Louis Cardinals (+2 spots)
17. Chicago Cubs (+3 spots)
18. San Francisco Giants (-1 spot)
19. Tampa Bay Rays (-3 spots)
20. Detroit Tigers (+1 spot)
21. Pittsburgh Pirates (+1 spot)
22. Cincinnati Reds (-3 spots)
23. Toronto Blue Jays (+2 spots)
24. Texas Rangers (-1 spot)
25. Washington Nationals (-1 spot)
26. Oakland Athletics
27. Los Angeles Angels
28. Colorado Rockies (+1 spot)
29. Miami Marlins (-1 spot)
30. Chicago White Sox

AL Award Rankings

AL MVP

1. Aaron Judge, NYY
2. Bobby Witt Jr., KC
3. Juan Soto, NYY
4. Gunnar Henderson, BAL
5. José Ramírez, CLE
6. Jarren Duran, BOS
7. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., TOR
8. Yordan Alvarez, HOU
9. Rafael Devers, BOS
10. Brent Rooker, OAK

AL Cy Young

1. Tarik Skubal, DET
2. Logan Gilbert, SEA
3. Seth Lugo, KC
4. Tanner Houck, BOS
5. Corbin Burnes, BAL

AL Rookie of the Year

1. Luis Gil, NYY
2. Colton Cowser, BAL
3. Hunter Gaddis, CLE

*Note: Until decisive information is released to the contrary, I'm working under the assumption that Oakland Athletics closer Mason Miller exceeded rookie eligibility limits in 2023 since his status is listed as such on his Baseball Reference page

NL Award Rankings

NL MVP

1. Shohei Ohtani, LAD
2. Francisco Lindor, NYM
3. Marcell Ozuna, ATL
4. Ketel Marte, ARI
5. Jurickson Profar, SD
6. Bryce Harper, PHI
7. William Contreras, MIL
8. Elly De La Cruz, CIN
9. Willy Adames, MIL
10. Freddie Freeman, LAD

NL Cy Young

1. Zack Wheeler, PHI
2. Chris Sale, ATL
3. Hunter Greene, CIN
4. Dylan Cease, SD
5. Paul Skenes, PIT

NL Rookie of the Year

1. Paul Skenes, PIT
2. Jackson Merrill, SD
3. Shōta Imanaga, CHC

What to Watch for This Week

Key Series for the 1st Half of the Week

• Kansas City Royals at Cleveland Guardians
  
• Houston Astros at Philadelphia Phillies
• Atlanta Braves at Minnesota Twins
• New York Mets at Arizona Diamondbacks
• Baltimore Orioles at Los Angeles Dodgers

Key Series for the 2nd Half of the Week

• Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies
• Kansas City Royals at Houston Astros
• Los Angeles Dodgers at Arizona Diamondbacks