2011 MLB Postseason: 18 Keys to MLB Divisional Races in September

After a long spring and summer full of great baseball, fall is right around the corner. With the final month of the regular season upon us, rosters are expanding and teams are preparing for October.

Hotly contested division races across the league are heating up and will likely go down to the final days of the season before a winner can be decided.

With a high number of head-to-head matchups from divisional foes this September, it promises to be another great month of baseball.

Here are some keys to watch this month as division crowns are prepared to be handed out.

AL West: Adrian Beltre Must Return to Form

The Texas Rangers are getting a much welcomed boost to their lineup with the return of Adrian Beltre.

Having missed the services of Beltre since injuring his hamstring on July 23, the Rangers currently sit 3.5 games ahead of the Anaheim Angels in the AL West standings.

Beltre came into the season with high expectations after signing with Texas following a 28-home-run campaign in 2010 in which he hit .321 with the Red Sox.

His average is more than 40 points lower this season and his offensive production is down, but if he can stay on the field down the stretch he'll certainly make an impact in the division race.

AL West: Weaver, Haren Need to Continue to Lead Way for Offense

At 15-7 with a 2.28 ERA in 28 starts this season, Jered Weaver certainly has the look of a Cy Young candidate.

He's also hoping to lead the Angels past the Texas Rangers down the stretch en route to a playoff appearance against what will likely be a beast from the AL East.

Backing up Weaver in the rotation is Dan Haren, who has nearly as successful of a 2011 season with a 13-7 record and an ERA just a shade over 3.00.

AL West: Lighter September Schedule Favors Rangers

With the division down to the Rangers and Angels, head-to-head matchups will definitely be key down the stretch.

The Rangers will travel to Boston this weekend for a tough test against the Red Sox, but that appears to be their toughest test until the final weekend of the season when they'll play the Angels in a series that may end up deciding the division.

The Angels have a slightly tougher schedule, hosting the disappointing Minnesota Twins and powerful New York Yankees before a road trip will take them north of the border for a series against Toronto.

AL Central: Beyond Verlander, Tigers Rotation Must Step Up

Justin Verlander is the league's first 20-game winner and probably the front runner for the AL Cy Young award. Some are even speculating that MVP consideration isn't out of the question.

With a 5.5-game lead in the AL Central, the Tigers will rely on Verlander to lead the team into October on a positive note.

While a top-of-the-line ace is a valuable asset during a playoff push, complementary starters can be difference makers as well. Beyond Verlander, there hasn't been a consistent starter in the rotation with an ERA below 4.50.

AL Central: Head-to-Head Outcomes Will Likely Determine Champ

With the top three teams in the AL Central all playing each other at least six times each this September (Chicago and Cleveland play eight times), the division winner will likely be a result of those games.

In the final series of the regular season, the Tigers will play host to the Indians.

AL Central: White Sox Pitching Can't Give Up Big Innings Down the Stretch

Trailing the Tigers by six games in the division after today, the Chicago White Sox can't afford to make any mistakes down the stretch.

Mark Buehrle is clearly the most consistent pitcher for the Sox, but beyond that the picture becomes much less clear.

When the team acquired Jake Peavy, it was expected that he'd be a top-of-the-rotation pitcher who pitched effectively in tight situations.

Peavy's time in Chicago hasn't gone as planned however. Injuries have derailed his plans and big innings have helped push his ERA towards 5.00 this season.

AL East: What More Can the Red Sox Do to Take the Division?

The Boston Red Sox currently own the best record in the American League with an 83-52 record.

They lead the league in team batting (.280), on-base percentage (.350) and slugging (.459), and are second in runs with 720.

In almost any other division, that'd be enough to run away with things, but not in the mighty AL East. After Wednesday's win against the Yankees, the Red Sox only have a 1.5-game lead over the bombers.

It wouldn't seem that the Red Sox can improve much on what they've already been doing, but they clearly can't afford to let up in any way down the stretch.

AL East: Is A.J. Burnett Capable of Playing Like He's Being Paid?

When the New York Yankees signed A.J. Burnett to a 5-year, $82 million contract before the 2009 season, they had very high expectations that he would be a force in their starting rotation for years to come.

Burnett has had a few ups during his time in the Bronx, but a 32-35 record and 4.82 ERA since joining the team have certainly disappointed both the organization as well as its fans.

Burnett's control has gone by the wayside as he's walking more batters per nine innings than he has in recent years while striking out less batters than in Toronto.

If he can somehow regain control, and pitch within the abilities that we've seen in the past, then the Yankees may be in good shape to make some noise in October.

AL East: Bronx Bombers Can Power Their Way to the Top

The New York Yankees have an uncanny ability to not only hit for power, but do it in pressure situations when it counts most.

With some of the best power hitters in baseball on the roster, the Yankees can go up against some of the best pitching in the league and still come out on top.

If they can stay hot down the stretch, the Yankees will slug their way into October, be it as the Wild Card or the AL East champ.

NL West: D'Backs Need to Dominate Against Giants Down the Stretch

In what may be seen as a surprise by many, the Arizona Diamondbacks are currently sitting six games ahead of the current World Champion San Francisco Giants.

The Diamondbacks are clicking on all cylinders right now and appear to be walking away with the division, but six remaining games with the Giants may end up deciding who plays in October.

NL West: Have the Giants Thrown in the Towel?

Coming into the 2011 season, the San Francisco Giants appeared poised to contend for another World Series championship.

Multiple injuries and subpar performances from other impact players have derailed those plans. The Giants may be throwing in the towel as they current sit six games behind the upstart Diamondbacks.

On Wednesday, the Giants parted ways with Miguel Tejada and Aaron Rowand, another sign of the trials and tribulations that the team has faced this season.

NL West: Kennedy Is Key to Arizona's Postseason Hopes

With the Arizona Diamondbacks appearing to be the most likely candidate for postseason play, they'll ride an impressive season from starting pitcher Ian Kennedy into October.

Kennedy is 17-4 this season with an impressive 3.03 ERA in 28 starts. Along with pitchers like Josh Collmenter and Joe Saunders, Kennedy is poised to lead the D'Backs into the NLDS.

NL Central: Rest the Stars to Avoid Fatigue...

With the NL Central all but wrapped up, the Milwaukee Brewers can coast their way through September in an effort to prepare for postseason play.

A two-game losing streak has cut the lead to 8.5 games, but the Cardinals don't appear to be making much of a run towards playing in October.

NL Central: ...But Don't Let Up

The Brewers' current cushion in the NL Central can be attributed in part to the furious pace that they set after the All-Star break.

Their power and pitching have been on point, and a division that had a few legitimate contenders just a couple of months ago now appears to be all but decided.

While the Brewers should take the time to rest some important pieces to the roster, it's just as important not to let up as they can't afford to lose their rhythm down the stretch.

NL Central: Will K-Rod Be Able to Hone in His Game Before Postseason?

When the Brewers brought K-Rod in immediately following the All-Star game, they sent a message to the league that they were clear contenders and wanted to make sure they had the proper pieces in place.

Rodriguez picked up right where he left off after coming over from New York, as he's amassed a 3-0 record and a 3.12 ERA in 19 appearances. 

He'll be an extremely important part to the Brewers chances in the postseason as they face off against some of the best players in the game in October.

NL East: Win Key Series Down the Stretch

The Philadelphia Phillies will certainly make an appearance in the postseason this fall, and before then they'll face off against some teams that they may find in the other dugout this October.

They'll travel to Milwaukee next weekend for a four-game series against the Brewers, and also have two remaining series against the Atlanta Braves, their next closest competitor in the NL East.

Winning these series will solidify their spot in the playoffs and give them even more confidence heading into the NLDS.

NL East: Keep Up the Lights-Out Pitching

It's no surprise that one of the biggest keys to the Phillies' success this season can be attributed to their starting pitching.

With quite possibly the best pitcher in baseball already on the roster in Roy Halladay, the team added Cliff Lee into the mix and became the most feared rotation in baseball.

They haven't disappointed either. Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels have combined for a 44-19 record this season and all have an ERA below 2.60.

NL East: Can the Braves Catch the Phillies?

That's a very good question. With the way the Phillies are playing, you'd have to think nobody would overtake them in the standings.

However, there are still six games remaining between the two teams and IF the Braves can somehow manage to sweep those series and play well in the rest of their series, there's an outside chance that some magic could happen.