How deadline acquisitions have propelled two teams into first place

The Blue Jays and Astros acquired big-name players to help them compete in the short term, and while some are succeeding and some are not, both teams sit in first place in their respective divisions. Here's a look at how the players acquired by Toronto and Houston have helped their teams climb to the top:

Troy Tulowitzki

Tulowitzki has struggled since moving north of the border in a blockbuster deal. In 24 games, Tulowitzki has hit .237/.339/.371 with three home runs. His .710 OPS is just a tick higher than the .708 Jose Reyes, who Tulowitzki replaced at shortstop, posted with Toronto this season. That said, Tulowitzki's defense has been a big upgrade over Reyes' and he has already been worth 1.1 rWAR for the Blue Jays.

David Price

The Blue Jays also acquired Price to anchor their rotation and the left-hander has done just that. In five starts with Toronto, Price has been dominant, allowing just eight runs in 36⅓ innings, a 1.98 ERA, to go with a WHIP of 0.96. He has walked just seven and struck out 41, with Toronto winning four of his five starts since the trade.

Carlos Gomez

Gomez has not been the spark plug the Astros were looking for since coming over from Milwaukee as he has struggled to adjust to the American League. In 24 games with Houston, Gomez has hit just .196/.237/.293 with a pair of home runs and six stolen bases. The biggest boost for Houston in the Gomez trade has likely come from pitcher Mike Fiers, who came with Gomez from Milwaukee and has a 2.42 ERA in 26 innings for the Astros, including a no-hitter on August 21.

Scott Kazmir

In addition to Fiers, Kazmir joined the Houston rotation at the trade deadline in a deal from Oakland. He has made six starts with the Astros, pitching 37⅓ innings with a 2.41 ERA and 1.23 WHIP, walking a dozen and striking out 30.