MLB Week in Review (August 31–September 6, 2026): Devers' 6-Homer Week Headlines September Push
Rafael Devers crushed 6 home runs with a 1.669 OPS in the week of August 31–September 6, 2026, while the Brewers (88-56) held MLB's best record and eight pitchers threw scoreless starts as the playoff races tightened across both leagues.
The Week at a Glance: August 31–September 6, 2026
The dominant storyline of the week: Rafael Devers went nuclear with 6 home runs, a .385 average, 13 RBI, and a 1.669 OPS — the single best offensive week in baseball as the calendar flipped to September.
The Milwaukee Brewers (88-56) remain the winningest team in baseball despite dropping two straight, holding a 7.0-game lead over the Cubs (81-63) in the NL Central. The Los Angeles Dodgers (86-57) rode a 4-game winning streak to a 10.5-game cushion in the NL West. The tightest race in the sport is the AL West, where the Astros (73-71) lead the Rangers (71-73) by just 2.0 games — with Houston carrying a -38 run differential, the only division leader in MLB with a negative mark. The AL East remains a three-team fight: Rays (85-58), Yankees (81-62, 4.0 GB), and a Red Sox club (79-65, 6.5 GB) riding a 4-game winning streak. The longest skid in baseball belongs to the Orioles, losers of 6 straight and 16.5 games out.
AL Standings Snapshot: Week of August 31, 2026
AL East Standings
| Team | W-L | GB | Run Diff | Streak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rays | 85-58 | — | +47 | L1 |
| Yankees | 81-62 | 4.0 | +117 | L1 |
| Red Sox | 79-65 | 6.5 | +86 | W4 |
| Blue Jays | 72-72 | 13.5 | -38 | L1 |
| Orioles | 69-75 | 16.5 | -29 | L6 |
AL Central Standings
| Team | W-L | GB | Run Diff | Streak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Sox | 75-68 | — | +49 | W1 |
| Guardians | 73-71 | 2.5 | -14 | W1 |
| Twins | 68-75 | 7.0 | -48 | L1 |
| Tigers | 65-78 | 10.0 | +50 | L1 |
| Royals | 64-80 | 11.5 | -88 | W1 |
AL West Standings
| Team | W-L | GB | Run Diff | Streak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astros | 73-71 | — | -38 | L2 |
| Rangers | 71-73 | 2.0 | -44 | W1 |
| Mariners | 67-77 | 6.0 | -71 | W1 |
| Athletics | 57-87 | 16.0 | -188 | L1 |
| Angels | 54-89 | 18.5 | -77 | L1 |
NL Standings Snapshot: Week of August 31, 2026
NL East Standings
| Team | W-L | GB | Run Diff | Streak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 85-58 | — | +120 | W1 |
| Phillies | 80-63 | 5.0 | +34 | L1 |
| Marlins | 72-72 | 13.5 | +15 | W1 |
| Nationals | 67-78 | 19.0 | +9 | L4 |
| Mets | 65-78 | 20.0 | -48 | W1 |
NL Central Standings
| Team | W-L | GB | Run Diff | Streak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brewers | 88-56 | — | +168 | L2 |
| Cubs | 81-63 | 7.0 | +132 | L1 |
| Cardinals | 72-72 | 16.0 | -9 | W1 |
| Pirates | 71-73 | 17.0 | +26 | W1 |
| Reds | 69-74 | 18.5 | -105 | W2 |
NL West Standings
| Team | W-L | GB | Run Diff | Streak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dodgers | 86-57 | — | +152 | W4 |
| D-backs | 76-68 | 10.5 | -1 | W2 |
| Padres | 75-68 | 11.0 | +8 | W1 |
| Giants | 59-85 | 27.5 | -75 | L1 |
| Rockies | 55-88 | 31.0 | -140 | L1 |
Biggest MLB Stories This Week: Top Individual Performances
Rafael Devers owns the week. Devers hit 6 home runs in seven days — two more than any other hitter in baseball — while batting .385 with 13 RBI and a 1.669 OPS. That is the most productive offensive week of the 2026 stretch run by any measure in the numbers.
Carter Jensen was the most efficient hitter alive. Jensen hit .421 with 3 home runs and a 1.634 OPS, the second-highest OPS of the week behind only Devers. Six RBI on a .421 average is elite run production per plate appearance.
Ronald Acuña Jr. hit .440. The Braves' star posted the highest batting average of the week among qualifiers, adding 3 home runs, 9 RBI, and a 1.303 OPS as Atlanta (85-58) maintained its 5.0-game NL East lead.
Alex Bregman and Ryan Jeffers each went deep 4 times. Bregman slashed .346 with 8 RBI and a 1.279 OPS; Jeffers drove in 11 runs — second only to Devers' 13 — with a 1.233 OPS despite a .261 average.
Eight pitchers threw scoreless starts. Sonny Gray (7.0 IP, 7 K, 0.86 WHIP), Michael King (12.0 IP, 9 K, 1.17 WHIP — the longest scoreless outing of the week), Andrew Painter (7.0 IP, 6 K, 0.29 WHIP — the week's best WHIP), Cal Quantrill (7.0 IP, 0.57 WHIP), Jeffrey Springs (7.0 IP, 0.57 WHIP), Ranger Suárez (7.0 IP, 0.86 WHIP), Framber Valdez (7.0 IP, 0.57 WHIP), and Hayden Wesneski (7.0 IP, 0.43 WHIP) all posted 0.00 ERAs. Painter's 0.29 WHIP and Wesneski's 0.43 WHIP were the two most dominant baserunner-suppression lines of the week.
Rookie bats made noise. Mickey Gasper (3 HR, 1.148 OPS), Zack Gelof (3 HR, 1.013 OPS), and Colson Montgomery (3 HR, 6 RBI, 1.009 OPS) each left the yard three times.
Statcast Standouts
No Statcast measurements — exit velocity, home run distance, pitch velocity, or sprint speed — were available in this week's data pull. We won't guess. Check Baseball Savant's leaderboards for the verified numbers, and check back next week when this section returns with hard figures.
MLB Transactions, Injuries, and Fantasy Impact: August 31, 2026
- Red Sox lose Willson Contreras. Boston placed its first baseman on the 10-day IL with a left hamstring strain — a significant bat out of a lineup chasing the Yankees (4.0 GB) in the AL East.
- Brewers shuffle the bullpen. Milwaukee placed RHP Bryse Wilson on the 15-day IL (low back strain) and activated RHP Abner Uribe from the 15-day IL — a net-neutral swap for the 88-56 division leaders.
- Mets get Mark Vientos back. New York activated its 1B from the 10-day IL on August 31.
- Mariners' roster churn. Seattle activated RHP Cooper Criswell from the 60-day IL, moved SS Colt Emerson to the 60-day IL (left wrist tendon repair — effectively ending his season), and placed RHP Nick Davila on the 15-day IL with an SC joint sprain.
- Diamondbacks activate Ketel Marte. Arizona's 2B returned from the 10-day IL as the D-backs (76-68) chase a wild card berth.
- Tigers DFA Tanner Rainey. Detroit designated the RHP for assignment.
- Minor-league signings. The Yankees signed RHP Justin Topa; the Rangers signed LHP John King. Both are depth adds for September.
- Orioles activate Cade Povich. The LHP returned as Baltimore tries to snap a 6-game losing streak.
Week Ahead in MLB: What to Watch September 7–13
- AL West chaos incoming. The Astros (73-71) lead the Rangers (71-73) by 2.0 games despite a -38 run differential and a 2-game losing streak. Every Houston-Texas result the rest of the way is effectively a two-game swing.
- Red Sox momentum vs. the math. Boston's 4-game win streak has it 6.5 GB of the Rays and 2.5 behind the Yankees. Without Willson Contreras (hamstring), the lineup needs Devers' 6-homer week to be a habit, not a peak.
- White Sox-Guardians decides the AL Central. Chicago leads by 2.5 games (75-68 vs. 73-71). Cleveland's -14 run differential says regression is coming; Chicago's +49 says it won't matter.
- Wild card traffic in the NL. The D-backs (76-68, W2) and Padres (75-68) are separated by half a game, with the Phillies (80-63) holding the stronger position at 5.0 GB in the NL East.
- Scoreless starters take the ball again. Watch Michael King (12.0 scoreless IP this week) and Andrew Painter (0.29 WHIP) in their next turns — the two most dominant arms of the week face lineup adjustments.
- Brewers look to stop the slide. MLB's best team (88-56, +168 run differential) has lost 2 straight. A rebound week keeps the Cubs (7.0 GB) from making the NL Central interesting.
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