10 MLB Players With the Most to Prove Before October

Jacob Misiorowski, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Yordan Alvarez will use September to put the finishing touches on special individual seasons that will likely to net them major awards in November.

However, there's a slew of players—some of them who are past award winners—that still have quite a bit to prove over the final month of the season.

Here's a look at 10 MLB players with the most to prove before October.

Ketel Marte: 2B, Arizona Diamondbacks

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

The Diamondbacks were happy to get former NLCS MVP Ketel Marte back in their lineup Monday. But after a multi-week absence that began with Marte being placed on the restricted list after not showing up for a game in Boston on Aug. 17, the three-time All-Star has a lot to prove in September.

First of all, he has to perform well enough to help the Snakes edge out the San Diego Padres for the final wild-card spot in the NL. Marte has homered 21 times this season, but his .760 OPS is down significantly from the .887 OPS he posted between 2023 and 2025. The 32-year-old does need to show over the final month of the season that he's still an elite player.

Even if Marte does that, the Diamondbacks might not be interested in continuing this relationship beyond 2026. The problem there is that Marte has 10-and-5 rights, which give him a full no-trade clause. This whole situation hasn't helped increase his trade value at all.

Aaron Judge: RF, New York Yankees

Evan Bernstein/Getty Images

Quite simply, Aaron Judge needs to show that he's going to be able to return from a fracture in his right ribcage that's prevented him from playing in late May.

The good news is that manager Aaron Boone said, "I think it's possible," that Judge will return during next week's homestand. We'll see if that's how things play out.

A three-time AL MVP, Judge had a .907 OPS in 59 games before being sidelined. With him, the Yankees will be the unquestioned favorites to win the weakest AL in at least a generation.

Zack Wheeler: RHP, Philadelphia Phillies

Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Zack Wheeler made a pretty miraculous return from a blood clot and thoracic decompression surgery, going 10-1 with a 2.13 ERA over his first 15 starts of the 2026 season.

However, since his All-Star snub, Wheeler is 1-4 with 6.27 ERA over eight outings. He did bounce back in his most recent start, limiting the Los Angeles Angels to four hits and one earned run across six innings. Questions still remain about his control, though, as Wheeler walked at least three batters in four of his six starts during August.

With Cristopher Sánchez and Jesús Luzardo, the Phillies have arguably the best pitching duo in baseball. But to win a World Series, they're likely going to need the trio of Sánchez, Luzardo and Wheeler to be at their best for the entire postseason.

Roman Anthony: LF, Boston Red Sox

Finn Gomez/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Perhaps what's most miraculous about the turnaround that the Red Sox have had under interim manager Chad Tracy is that it's largely come without Roman Anthony.

Anthony was finally activated this past weekend after missing nearly four months with a right wrist sprain. The 22-year-old looked like a budding superstar during 71 games as a rookie last year, posting a 2.8 WAR in less than half a season. Unfortunately for the Red Sox, a left oblique strain caused Anthony to miss the ALWCS last year against the Yankees, which they ultimately lost in three games.

The biggest thing Anthony needs to show during the final month of the 2026 regular season is an ability to stay on the field. That seems to be the biggest obstacle for him in becoming one of the faces of the sport.

Shohei Ohtani: RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers

Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images

Shohei Ohtani appeared to be tracking towards a return to the mound before hitting a snag last weekend:

At this stage, it's unclear if Ohtani is going to be able to pitch again this season. That's unfortunate because he was having his finest season as a pitcher yet, going 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA and 10 K/9 through 14 starts.

The good thing for the Dodgers is even without Ohtani, they have a starting rotation that includes Tarik Skubal, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow. They can win a World Series with Ohtani just as a DH—after all, that's what he was in 2024.

Even if Ohtani isn't able to pitch again this year, his left knee affects his ability to hit and run the bases. The chances of the Dodgers three-peating would improve if he's trending in the right direction physically when October rolls around.

Cal Raleigh: C, Seattle Mariners

John Fisher/Getty Images

There's nothing that can happen down the stretch that changes how disappointing the follow-up to Cal Raleigh's 60-homer season has been. But if he's able to dig the M's out of a hole and lead them to the postseason, that will be a positive ending to an underwhelming season.

Raleigh did hit just .195 in August, but homered nine times—including a three-homer game against the Phillies on Aug. 24—this past month. That's definitely a step in the right direction. Even with a batting average below the Mendoza Line, Raleigh posted an .877 OPS.

Raleigh is far from the only player on the Mariners who needs to finish the season strong. Julio Rodríguez, Taylor Ward, Bryan Woo, J.P. Crawford and Andrés Muñoz are among the other players who have underwhelmed in 2026.

Ronald Acuña Jr.: RF, Atlanta Braves

David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

At his best, Ronald Acuña Jr. is arguably the most explosive player in baseball.

But for most of 2026, Acuña hasn't been at his best. After returning from a torn left ACL, Acuña hit .290 with 21 homers and a .935 OPS in 95 games. The former NL MVP has been limited to just 85 games this year. His impact—.241 batting average, 13 homers and a .754 OPS—has been underwhelming by his standards.

Despite an uncharacteristic season from Acuña, the Braves are leading the NL East. If Acuña heats up, the Braves will not only win the division. They will be a top contender to unseat the Dodgers in the NL playoffs.

Trea Turner: SS, Philadelphia Phillies

Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

It's been a pretty miserable 2026 season for Trea Turner.

A year after winning the NL batting title by hitting .304, Turner has regressed to batting .241 in 2026.

Turner had a defensive renaissance in 2025, posting eight errors, two defensive runs saved and 16 outs above average. In 2026, he's gone in the other direction, with 20 errors, minus-15 DRS and minus-eight OAA.

This won't go down as one of Turner's most enjoyable seasons. For the Phillies to have a chance to finally get over the hump in October, Turner needs to regain his confidence at the plate and be the electric offensive player he is at his best.

Brandon Woodruff: RHP, Milwaukee Brewers

Colten Strauss/MLB Photos via Getty Images

Since returning from the shoulder surgery he had in October of 2023, Brandon Woodruff has a 3.11 ERA. The problem is, he's only made 21 starts, with his latest injury a reoccurrence of pitching shoulder inflammation.

The good news for Woodruff is that while he initially appeared headed for another shoulder surgery, he showed enough healing to start throwing again after a month. Manager Pat Murphy said on Aug. 22 that "I think there's a low possibility, but I think there's a possibility," when asked about whether Woodruff could return in 2026.

Even if it's just in a relief role, getting Woodruff back at all would be a boon. He's spent his entire nine-year career with the Brewers. It would be cool to see him pitch in October for a team with World Series aspirations. Plus, it would help the 33-year-old ahead of free agency to show that he's healthy heading into the offseason.

Manny Machado: 3B, San Diego Padres

Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images

Manny Machado has homered 24 times this season, but done so while batting just .220 with 98 OPS+ (100 is league average).

Perhaps at 34, Machado is hitting a wall, but this level of production is well below what the Padres (and the baseball world as a whole) have come to expect to him. It's especially concerning for San Diego, who has the future Hall of Famer signed through the 2033 season.

Both Fernando Tatis Jr. (.956 OPS) and Jackson Merrill (.887) OPS have been scalding hot since the All-Star Game. Machado has produced a much more pedestrian .718 OPS in the second half. If he gets going, not only will the Padres win the NL's final wild-card spot, but they'll be a tough out in the NLWCS.