BATTLE FOR OCTOBER: Who will come out on top on the AL Central?

The Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians collide in a massive AL Central showdown with just a half-game separating them. With the division title, playoff positioning and a potential first-round bye at stake, this three-game series has all the makings of October baseball in September. Is New York Yankees ace Cam Schlittler just the runaway AL Cy Young winner, or should he beat Yordan Alvarez and Bobby Witt Jr. for AL MVP? We break down Schlittler's historic season and debate whether a pitcher should take home both awards. Plus, Yordan Alvarez is chasing baseball history as the Houston Astros superstar enters the final stretch of the 2026 MLB season with a legitimate shot at the American League Triple Crown. Yordan leads the AL batting race while battling Junior Caminero in home runs and Pete Alonso in RBIs — but can he finish the job while also carrying Houston toward an AL West title and strengthening his AL MVP case? It's all on this episode of Back to the Bullpen! Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Aura Cybersecurity Start your free trial today at https://aura.com/aware. Protect yourself now. Stance Check out the ICON collection from Stance—premium comfort, performance, and durability designed for whatever your day brings. Use promo Code LOCKEDON at checkout for 20% off your purchase. Learn more at https://Stance.com. Stance. The Official Sock Partner of Major League Baseball. Clutch Parlays Go to https://ClutchParlays.com today and use code LOCKEDON for your first month free on a monthly plan. Pick Smarter. Parlay Sharper. 5-Hour ENERGY Get candy-flavored chaos with Fruity Rainbow 5-hour ENERGY®️ Shots - available online at https://5hourENERGY.com or Amazon KALSHI For a limited time, Download Kalshi and use code Locked On to get $25 when you trade $25. Kalshi. Trade what’s next. Gametime Today's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply. FanDuel Make this Your Most Rewarding Season Ever with FanDuel. Get $350 in Bonus Bets — GUARANTEED — when you bet five dollars every day for seven days. Join all the action at https://FANDUEL.COM FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.