As the calendar zips towards September, we're all zeroed in on the playoff race -- and rightfully so. Division titles and Wild Card berths are still up for grabs, across both leagues.
But there are plenty of stat races to follow, too, highlighted by Kyle Schwarber and Shohei Ohtani going back and forth for the NL home run crown.
Here's a look at 10 exciting stat races to keep tabs on across the final five weeks of the regular season.
All stats entering Sunday.
1) NL home runs
Contenders: Kyle Schwarber, 45 (PHI); Shohei Ohtani, 44 (LAD)
It feels like these two sluggers trade home runs every day now, and, well, they basically do. On Tuesday, Schwarber launched his 44th home run to briefly take the NL lead -- until, a few hours later, Ohtani drew even with a rocket that left the bat at 115.9 mph. Not to be out done, Schwarber hit No. 45 the very next day. If that's any indication, this race seems poised to go down to the wire between two MVP contenders.
2) AL ERA
Contenders: Nathan Eovaldi, 1.73 (TEX); Tarik Skubal, 2.32 (DET); Hunter Brown, 2.36 (HOU); Garrett Crochet, 2.38 (BOS)
Can anyone catch Eovaldi? The Rangers right-hander has a mere 1.73 ERA through 22 starts, pitching brilliantly when healthy. Even with a pair of IL stints, Eovaldi still has enough innings under his belt to qualify for the ERA title, and there's significant separation between him and the rest of the pack. But don't overlook the other elite arms, especially Skubal, who is faring even better after leading the AL with a 2.39 ERA last season.
3) AL strikeouts
Contenders: Crochet, 207 (BOS); Skubal, 200 (DET)
The field narrows for the AL strikeout crown, with two fierce left-handers vying for the top spot. Skubal led the AL with 228 strikeouts last season, and he'll likely have to surpass that number to fend off Crochet down the stretch. Both pitchers are among just five qualified starters averaging at least 11 strikeouts per nine innings this season.
4) NL batting average
Contenders: Freddie Freeman, .301 (LAD); Trea Turner, .301 (PHI); Sal Frelick, .299 (MIL); Will Smith, .297 (LAD); Xavier Edwards, .293 (MIA); Ketel Marte, .293 (AZ)
This is easily the most crowded race on the list, with at least six players vying for the NL batting title -- and the leader seems to change daily. Of late, Turner has super-charged his way towards the front, notching 21 hits in a 34 at-bat span from Aug. 14-20 to raise his average by 20 points. Smith has the fewest plate appearances of the bunch, but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recently assured that Smith will qualify by year's end. This one seems poised to go down to the season's final day.
5) NL ERA
Contenders: Paul Skenes, 2.16 (PIT); Cristopher Sánchez, 2.46 (PHI); Matthew Boyd, 2.61 (CHC); Andrew Abbott, 2.62 (CIN)
The NL ERA race may not have the same firepower that the AL race does, but that doesn't mean it's not intriguing. Skenes has pitched to a 4.29 ERA in four starts this month, allowing Abbott to close ground. But that was before Abbott had a rough outing of his own against the D-backs on Aug. 23, bringing Sánchez and Boyd back into the conversation.
6) AL doubles
Contenders: Bobby Witt Jr., 40 (KC); Bo Bichette, 39 (TOR); Jarren Duran, 34 (BOS)
This is a sneaky fun race with no real separation. After a down year in 2024, Bichette is back to his usual self, which means that he's racking up doubles: He's already secured his fourth 30-double campaign in the last five seasons. Can he chase down Witt, who seems likely to surpass the 45-double mark he reached last season? And then there's Duran, deft at smacking the ball off the Green Monster, who led the AL with 48 doubles a year ago.
7) AL home runs
Contenders: Cal Raleigh, 47 (SEA); Aaron Judge, 40 (NYY)
Raleigh has taken the mantle as baseball's foremost power threat in 2025. He won the Home Run Derby, smashed 38 homers before the All-Star break, and has Ken Griffey Jr.'s single-season Mariners franchise home run record (56) in sight. But can he hold off Judge down the stretch for the AL home run crown? The defending AL MVP has been quiet of late, hitting just three home runs in 15 games since returning from an IL stint. But if there's anyone liable for a heater, it's Judge.
8) NL RBI
Contenders: Schwarber, 109 (PHI); Pete Alonso, 103 (NYM)
This feels like Schwarber's race to lose. He has a whopping 40 RBIs since the All-Star break, which is 13 more than the next closest NL player, Milwaukee's Andrew Vaughn. Alonso is still within striking distance, as one of three players to eclipse the 100-RBI mark this season. Maybe the Polar Bear threatens his own single-season Mets record of 131 RBIs, which he set in 2022.
9) NL saves
Contenders: Robert Suarez, 34 (SD); Trevor Megill, 30 (MIL)
The Brewers -- famously -- have done a whole lot of winning lately, allowing the flame-throwing Megill to rack up saves. Since the break, Megill has nine saves, compared to just six for Suarez. But Suarez is still holding steady, as the two-time All-Star maintained the closer's role even after the Padres' blockbuster acquisition of Mason Miller.
10) AL stolen bases
Contenders: José Caballero, 40 (NYY); Chandler Simpson, 37 (TB); José Ramírez, 36 (CLE)
After leading the AL with 44 stolen bases a year ago, Caballero is making a serious bid to double down. On Wednesday, he swiped his 40th bag, becoming the first player to reach that mark this season. Caballero's former Rays teammate, rookie Simpson, is closing ground, with three stolen bases in his last three games. And don't overlook Ramírez, who has quietly notched 77 steals in the last two seasons, the third most in the Majors in that span.