Best of September: Tigers' improbable surge, THE Ohtani 50-50 game and more

The regular season begins in March, and while there aren’t any scheduled games in October this year, it’s not unusual for the regular season to bleed into that month. But on the whole, it is simple to think of a baseball season in six one-month increments, half a year, broken up into segments. And we are just about to finish the last month of our regular season. We made it.

As always, we close things out with a look back at the month that was.

Team Surging to the Finish Line: Tigers
What more can you say about what the Tigers have done this month? This was a team that traded away Jack Flaherty at the Deadline and was at .500 on Sept. 6. Thoughts in Detroit seemed to be turning toward 2025. Surprise! The Tigers have been the best story in baseball all month and will now make their first playoff appearance since 2014. There have been many great months for the Tigers throughout their history. But there haven’t been many better than September 2024.

Team Staggering to the Finish Line: Twins
What a disaster. The Twins were having a miserable September before Thursday, when they suffered a deeply disheartening 13-inning loss at home, to the Marlins, in a must-win situation. Minnesota missed scoring chance after scoring chance in that one, including a brutal bunt double play in the 12th. The Twins probably wouldn’t have been able to catch up with the Tigers or Royals had that game not happened. But it sure did sum up their month.

Play of the Month: Frelick pulls one back
When the D-backs’ Corbin Carroll ripped a deep fly ball to right field, was there a person on the planet who didn’t think the ball was gone right off the bat? Well, Brewers right fielder Sal Frelick didn’t. We’re still not sure how in the world Frelick caught this ball.

Best Single-Game Performance: Ohtani’s all-timer
It’s one thing to go 50-50. It’s another thing to do it the way Shohei Ohtani did, going a stupefying 6-for-6 with three homers, two doubles, two steals, 10 RBIs and 17 total bases. If people are legitimately asking if you just had the best game anyone’s ever played … odds are you’re gonna be our pick for the single-game performance of the month.

Wildest Game: Milwaukee refuses to quit
*D-backs at Brewers, Sept. 22*
The D-backs had an 8-1 lead in the top of the third after scoring eight runs off Frankie Montas. But the Brewers kept chipping away. One in the third. Two in the fourth. One in the sixth. Two in the seventh. And then, the pièce de résistance, four runs in the eighth, all with two outs no less, and a wild 10-9 victory.

Best Player to Make His MLB Debut: Jackson Jobe, Tigers
That’s all Tigers fans needed: One more reason to get excited this month. Jobe -- another rookie Jackson! -- is Detroit's top pitching project and, amazingly, has shown up in time to be a part of Tigers history.

All-Star Squad of the Month

With key September stats

C: Cal Raleigh, Mariners -- .500 SLG, 6 HR, 18 RBIs
1B: Matt Olson, Braves -- 1.012 OPS, 4 HR, 21 RBIs
2B: Ketel Marte, D-backs -- .908 OPS, 5 HR, 12 RBIs
SS: Gunnar Henderson, Orioles -- .326 BA, 4 HR, 14 RBIs
3B: Eugenio Suárez, D-backs -- .333 BA, 8 HR, 16 RBIs
OF: Taylor Ward, Angels -- .943 OPS, 7 HR, 15 RBIs
OF: Aaron Judge, Yankees -- 1.019 OPS, 7 HR, 21 RBIs
OF: Julio Rodríguez, Mariners -- .328 BA, 7 HR, 21 RBIs
DH: Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers -- .398 BA, 10 HR, 32 RBIs
UTIL: Kyle Schwarber, Phillies -- 1.028 OPS, 10 HR, 20 RBIs
SP: Paul Skenes, Pirates -- 0.75 ERA, 34 K's in 24 IP
SP: Blake Snell, Giants -- 1.00 ERA, 31 K's in 18 IP
SP: Tarik Skubal, Tigers -- 1.52 ERA, 27 K's in 23 2/3 IP
SP: Chris Sale, Braves -- 1.13 ERA, 28 K's in 24 IP
SP: Carlos Rodón, Yankees -- 2.20 ERA, 34 K's in 28 2/3 IP
RP: Emmanuel Clase, Guardians -- 0.00 ERA, 7 SV in 11 IP
RP: Ryan Helsley, Cardinals -- 0.00 ERA, 7 SV in 8 2/3 IP