What happened: Paul Hembo says the AL MVP race is over and argues Skubal has improved since joining the Dodgers. Jesse Rogers also weighs the White Sox-Guardians race and whether PCA should be a unanimous pick.

Why it matters: Those arguments pull together the AL awards debate, a division race and the Dodgers' roster impact in one late-season conversation. They also show how individual performance cases are being measured alongside team context as the schedule tightens.

What to watch: Watch whether that AL MVP case hardens or shifts as the White Sox-Guardians race and the Dodgers' stretch run keep moving.