The MLB trade deadline has passed, and with only six teams eliminated, 21 teams remain in the playoff chase. Key storylines to watch include the race for the best record, as the high-payroll Dodgers have slipped to third in the NL after losing eight of nine before winning two. They added Tarik Skubal but rank 13th in OPS since the All-Star break.

The Brewers and Braves are surging, with critical head-to-head games from Aug 13-27.\n\nThe NL MVP race features Shohei Ohtani and Pete Crow-Armstrong, who leads with 7.5 bWAR after hitting .381 in June. Crow-Armstrong is on pace for 10.2 WAR, a mark achieved only by inner-circle Hall of Famers. In the AL, Yordan Alvarez is chasing the Triple Crown, leading in batting average, tied for home runs, and leading in RBIs.

His .389 average with runners in scoring position is historic.\n\nBrewers rookie Jacob Misiorowski has a 1.76 ERA and reached 200 strikeouts second-fastest ever, chasing Bob Gibson's sub-1.50 ERA season. The Red Sox, after firing manager Alex Cora and sitting at 32-46 on June 24, have gone 32-9 since, including a 21-4 July, scoring the third-most runs and allowing the fewest per game despite key injuries.