Welcome to The Opener, where every weekday morning you’ll get a fresh, topical column to start your day from one of SI.com’s MLB writers.
Wednesday marks the final month of MLB’s regular season. In four weeks, we’ll know the final standings, playoff picture and contours of the award races. Now? We don’t know just how much we don’t know. Here are some of the storylines to look out for down the stretch:
(Editor's Note: All stats are updated through Aug. 31.)
Will the Padres and Red Sox make the playoffs?
Two months ago, this wasn’t much of a question at all.