Just more than three weeks remain in the 2026 MLB regular season, and it’s crunch time for teams in the playoff push. Little has been decided with less than 25 games left for each team, and 22 of the league’s 30 teams entered the weekend in playoff position or within 5 ½ games of a spot.
While the Brewers and Dodgers seem headed to division titles in the NL Central and NL West, respectively, there are intriguing races in all three American League divisions and the NL East. Speaking of that NL East, the Phillies trail the Braves by four games and are hosting Atlanta for a four-game series over Labor Day weekend. The Phillies are also locked in a tight battle with the Cubs for the top NL wild-card spot, while the Diamondbacks and Padres jostle for the NL’s final postseason seed.
In the American League, each division race was within three games as the weekend began. The Rays are trying to hold off the Yankees in the AL East, the White Sox have an edge over the Guardians in the AL Central and the Astros are trying to pull away from the Rangers and Mariners in the AL West. And the chase for the final AL wild-card spot is the most muddled race in baseball. Seven teams entered the holiday weekend within 5 ½ games of each other, and none of them had a record above .500.
Now, let’s get you caught up on the bracket, standings and more. All division and postseason projections referenced in the standings come from SportsLine.
2026 MLB playoff picture, bracket
If the season ended today…
American League
Byes: No. 1 Rays, No. 2 White Sox
Wild Card Series: No. 3 Astros vs. No. 6 Guardians, No. 4 Yankees vs. No. 5 Red Sox
National League
Byes: No. 1 Brewers, No. 2 Braves
Wild Card Series: No. 3 Dodgers vs. No. 6 Padres, No. 4 Cubs vs. No. 5 Phillies
American League standings
National League standings
Clinched division – x
Clinched wild-card – y
Clinched playoff berth – z
Eliminated – e
MLB wild-card standings
| New York Yankees | 80 | 61 | +8.5 |
| Boston Red Sox | 77 | 65 | +5.0 |
| Cleveland Guardians | 72 | 70 | — |
| ——————— | ——- | ——- | ———- |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 71 | 71 | 1.0 |
| Texas Rangers | 70 | 72 | 2.0 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 69 | 73 | 3.0 |
| Minnesota Twins | 67 | 74 | 4.5 |
| Seattle Mariners | 66 | 76 | 6.0 |
| Detroit Tigers | 64 | 77 | 7.5 |
| Chicago Cubs | 80 | 62 | +5.5 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 79 | 62 | +5.0 |
| San Diego Padres | 74 | 67 | — |
| ——————— | ——- | ——- | ——- |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | 74 | 68 | 0.5 |
| Miami Marlins | 71 | 71 | 3.5 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 71 | 71 | 3.5 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 70 | 72 | 4.5 |
2026 World Series odds
Via Caesars as of Sept. 5
- Dodgers: +190
- Brewers: +700
- Yankees: +750
- Rays: +950
- Braves: +1100
- Red Sox: +1400
- Phillies: +1400
- Cubs: +1500
- White Sox: +1800
- Astros: +2000
- Blue Jays: +2800
- Guardians: +3500
- Rangers: +4000
- Padres: +4500
- Diamondbacks: +8000
- Mariners: +8000
- Orioles: +10000
- Cardinals: +15000
- Twins: +20000
- Pirates: +20000
- Marlins: +20000
- Tigers: +40000
