MLB postseason picture shapes up as regular season winds down
With less than a week left in the regular season, division leaders and wild-card contenders are positioning for the 2026 playoffs, while several teams have already been eliminated.
The American and National Leagues are finalising their playoff seeds as the regular season approaches its conclusion. In the American League, the Tampa Bay Rays lead the East and have secured a berth, needing two more wins to clinch the top seed. The Cleveland Guardians sit atop the Central, while the Texas Rangers lead the West. The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox have clinched wild-card spots, and the Chicago White Sox remain in contention.
In the National League, the Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves have each clinched their divisions. The Chicago Cubs hold the top wild-card position, with the San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies also in the mix. The Brewers can lock the No. 2 seed with a win over the Phillies or a Braves loss to the Reds, and the Cubs could secure a berth with a victory over the Marlins or a Diamondbacks loss to the Rockies.
Teams already eliminated from postseason contention include the Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals and Los Angeles Angels in the AL, and the Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Miami Marlins and several others in the NL.
The wild-card round is set to begin on Sept. 29, followed by division series in early October, league championship series in mid-October, and the World Series slated for later that month.