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The FanGraphs Newsletter, September 3, 2024 [READ IN BROWSER]( September 3, 2024 As we enter the final month of the season, there are a handful of clubs on the edge of the playoff picture whose play of late has made a few of the postseason races fairly exciting as the 2024 campaign winds down. The Dodgers finished August with a series win over the Orioles and started off September with a huge series win over the Diamondbacks, their closest division rival. Of course, all eyes are on Shohei Ohtani as he chases the [mythical 50-50 season](. He added three home runs and three stolen bases to his totals last week, then swiped another three bags on Monday. As for the Diamondbacks, their 14-3 victory on Sunday was a nice palate cleanser after a pretty bad week that saw them win just one of their previous five games. Still, the Dodgers got the last laugh, taking the series with an 11-6 blowout on Monday. Those losses to Los Angeles probably put the Snakes’ long-shot hopes of winning the division to bed, but they’re still well ahead in the NL Wild Card race. The Astros continue to pull away in the AL West standings after winning five in a row last week, including a four-game sweep of the Royals at home. Despite having had so much trouble with their pitching staff for a large portion of the season, their rotation has really stabilized over the last month or so. Yusei Kikuchi has been excellent, Hunter Brown has sorted out his issues, [Justin]( Verlander is healthy again, and Spencer Arrighetti looks like he’s taken a big step forward. We should have never doubted Houston. [FULL RANKINGS]( [Michael King Is on a Roll]( King went from zero to hero without a massive overhaul. How did he do it? The answer lies on the margins. | by Ben Clemens [Fading Since the Trade Deadline: The Teams Whose Odds Have Fallen the Furthest]( These six clubs all looked like contenders at some point, but whatever they did to bolster themselves for the stretch run hasn't been enough. | by Jay Jaffe [The Search for the Most Predictable Pitcher]( Some pitches you can see coming from a mile away. But does that have to mean they're less effective? | by Kiri Oler [Sunday Notes: Lucas Erceg Credits Maturation For Success on Mound]( Plus John Schneider on the Royals, Hunter Brown on bringing back his two-seamer, a Mariners pitcher poll, Charlie Pick, facts and stats galore, and more. | by David Laurila [Declan Cronin Hasn’t Given Up a Home Run In 2024]( There's a time and a place for clever titles, but in this case, the simple truth says it best. | by Leo Morgenstern [I Hope Your Team’s Big Deadline Acquisition Lasted More Than 30 Days]( Only 26 of the 44 major league pitchers traded to contenders in July are still on the active rosters of the teams that acquired them. | by Michael Baumann 🎧 [Effectively Wild Episode 2211: Hip Hippo Hooray]( [DOWNLOAD THE FANGRAPHS APP]( [FanGraphs & Effectively Wild Merch Is Now Available at BreakingT!]( [ORDER HERE]( [Experts predict favorites, dark horses in Juan Soto sweepstakes]( by via MLB [What went wrong for the defending champion Texas Rangers]( by Jesse Rogers, ESPN [The 2024 MLB Awards Race Guide to the Homestretch]( by Zach Kram, The Ringer [Baseball slang 101: A guide to talking like you’re in an MLB clubhouse]( by Tyler Kepner, The Athletic ($) [@fangraphs]( [FanGraphs]( [FanGraphs]( [RSS]( [FORWARD]( [SUBSCRIBE]( Copyright © 2024 FanGraphs Inc, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to the FanGraphs Newsletter. Our mailing address is: FanGraphs Inc 3017 N Underwood StArlington, VA 22213 [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](