Each year when the calendar flips to September, the focus justifiably gravitates toward the playoff race and what lies ahead for postseason baseball.

As the regular season ends, however, there's also an inevitable finality for many players who have entered the final playing days of their careers. Whether it's due to age, injury or other circumstances, the end of each season marks the completion of many baseball careers.

Some players -- like Derek Jeter, David Ortiz and Albert Pujols -- have storybook endings that make you really remember the end of their careers. For other veterans, even those who had spectacular careers, the end might not be quite as memorable.

With that in mind, here are some MLB veterans who could hang 'em up at the end of the season -- or have already confirmed that this is their last season -- and why you should watch their potential final months with appreciation.

All numbers are through Thursday's games

Miguel Cabrera, Tigers
This list starts with two players who have already confirmed their retirement after this season. The 40-year-old Cabrera announced that this was his final season in what has been one of the most impressive careers by any right-handed hitter. As one of seven AL/NL hitters with 500-plus home runs and 3,000-plus hits, he is in a club consisting of Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Albert Pujols, Eddie Murray, Alex Rodriguez and Rafael Palmeiro. Among many other accolades, Cabrera was a two-time MVP, 12-time All-Star and four-time batting champion. His career 139 wRC+ is tied for 22nd all-time among players with at least 10,000 plate appearances.

• Miguel Cabrera's Top 11 moments

Adam Wainwright, Cardinals
In the final season of his career, the 42-year-old remains just two wins shy of 200 in his career. While the '23 season hasn't been the fantastic finish that Wainwright or the Cardinals were looking for, it's important to reflect on how good and important the right-hander was to St. Louis for nearly two decades. Across 18 seasons -- all with the Cardinals after they acquired him in a 2003 trade with the Braves -- Wainwright had a 114 ERA+ over 2,500 innings. He was a three-time All-Star and the ace for many Cardinals playoff teams.

• These are the Top 10 moments of Waino's career

Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers
Kershaw has toyed with retirement before but this really could be his final year. The 35-year-old has put together one of the best careers by any pitcher ever. If he retired right now, his 157 ERA+ would be the best of the 256 pitchers who've thrown at least 2,500 career innings. With his combination of elite stuff and superb command, Kershaw enjoyed one of the greatest peaks we've ever seen. From 2011-17, Kershaw took home three Cy Young Awards, five ERA titles and an MVP Award, averaging 207 innings a season with a 2.10 ERA and 2.36 FIP in that time.

• 10 moments that define Kershaw's career

Zack Greinke, Royals
Greinke is in his 20th season of what might be a Hall of Fame career. While the 39-year-old hasn't declared this as his final season, it wouldn't come as a surprise if he did retire. If this is indeed the end, Greinke will go down as one of the most memorable pitchers of his generation. In the 21st century, Greinke's 66.1 fWAR is the fifth-most among any pitcher, sandwiched between CC Sabathia and Roy Halladay. Of the 138 pitchers who've thrown at least 3,000 career innings, Greinke's 121 ERA+ is tied for 33rd-best.

• Top 10 moments of Zack Greinke's career

Joey Votto, Reds
Votto is one of the most beloved players of his generation for many reasons. Known for having one of the most selective eyes of any hitter, Votto has crafted a potential Hall of Fame career out of elite plate discipline and plenty of power. His career 145 wRC+ is tied for 21st all-time (min. 8,000 plate appearances), around inner-circle greats like Honus Wagner and Mike Schmidt. Is retirement a possibility? "I think I'm going to perform well offensively. If not, I'm going to retire. End of story," Votto told MLB.com's Reds beat writer Mark Sheldon before the season. The 40-year-old is currently on the shelf with shoulder discomfort, the same shoulder that was surgically repaired in August 2022.

• 10 moments that made Joey Votto's career special

Andrew McCutchen, Pirates
It would be a fitting end for McCutchen if he both started and ended his career in a Pirates uniform. Following a seven-year period away from Pittsburgh, he returned in '23 in what could be the final season of his career. From 2009-17 with the Pirates -- which included three straight playoff appearances from 2013-15 -- McCutchen was one of the best players in the Majors, producing 45.9 WAR that was bested by only seven other players. Altogether, the 36-year-old has racked up 51.8 WAR with a 128 wRC+, 299 home runs and 215 stolen bases.

• The top 10 moments of McCutchen's career

Evan Longoria, D-backs
Due to Longoria's career arc -- he was elite right out of the gate -- it's easy to forget just how good of a career he has produced. When Longoria was promoted in 2008, he instantly became one of the best players in the Majors, producing the seventh-most WAR (34.2) across his first six seasons. Longoria's combination of extraordinary third-base defense and great offense made him a fixture as one of the game's top players. Even as injuries have increased with his age, he's managed to remain productive late into his 30s. With 55 career WAR and 342 home runs, he'll have a intriguing Hall of Fame case.

• Evan Longoria's top 10 moments

Rich Hill, Padres
Few players have experienced a career arc anything like Hill's. Through his age-34 season, Hill had a 4.72 ERA and 5.9 WAR in 471 MLB innings. From his age-35 season on, Hill has posted a 3.61 ERA and 15.1 WAR in 925 innings. Following a dominant four starts with Boston at the end of the 2015 season, the crafty lefty became one of the most effective pitchers on a per-inning basis the next few seasons, most notably with the Dodgers. As of right now, the 43-year-old and Immaculate Grid favorite is still planning to pitch in 2024, but retirement could still be plausible given his age.

Michael Brantley, Astros
The 36-year-old just returned to the Majors after missing over a year due to shoulder surgery. Despite injuries becoming more common later in his career, Brantley bucked normal aging curves as a hitter and got even better in his 30s. In 818 games through his age-29 season, Brantley had a .292/.348/.421 line and 112 wRC+. After reaching his age-30 season, he's hit .305/.365/.461 with a 124 wRC+ in 613 games. Widely considered one of the most professional hitters in the game, it's still quite possible that he has a few productive seasons remaining.

Johnny Cueto, Marlins
Cueto was undeniably one of the most talented and entertaining pitchers in the middle of the 2010s. The 5-foot-11 right-hander out of San Pedro de Macoris in the Dominican Republic made a career out of a trio of superb strike-throwing ability, good stuff and his famous craftiness. Of any pitcher born outside the US, Cueto's 143 wins rank 22nd all-time, just ahead of names like Johan Santana and Ramon Martinez. Among the 31 pitchers foreign-born pitchers with at least 2,000 innings pitched, Cueto's 117 ERA+ is tied for the seventh-best. The 37-year-old hasn't indicated that he'll retire, but myriad injuries have limited him to just 32 1/3 innings in 2023.

Others of note
Corey Kluber, Red Sox
Charlie Blackmon, Rockies
Elvis Andrus, White Sox
David Robertson, Marlins
Mark Melancon, D-backs