2026 MLB Playoffs Picture, Bracket, Standings Before Season Finales

Chaos is the only word needed to describe the final day of the 2026 MLB regular season.

The Phillies held a 6.5-game lead for the third Wild Card spot on September 1st. They still lead the Diamondbacks by one game, but Arizona controls the tie-breaker. The Phillies can avoid a full-on collapse with either a win or a Diamondbacks loss.

With the Padres' win on Saturday, they locked up the top wild card spot and will host the Cubs in a rematch of last year's wild card matchup.

Meanwhile, in the AL West, the Astros and Rangers are tied at the top, with the Astros holding the tiebreaker. The winner of the division will make history as the first team to claim a division title with a non-winning record in a 162-game season.

American League

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Division Leaders

1. Tampa Bay (98-63)
2. Cleveland (85-76)
3. Houston (80-81)

Wild-Card Race

1. New York Yankees (93-68)
2. Boston (87-74)
3. Chicago White Sox (83-78)

On Saturday, the Cleveland Guardians secured the 2-seed with a win and Chicago White Sox loss.

This leaves the only playoff drama for Sunday in the AL West, where the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers are tied for the division lead.

Whoever wins the division will make history as the first team to claim a division title without a winning record in a 162-game season.

The Astros have the tiebreaker, so if they beat the Athletics, they'll clinch the third seed. The Athletics are turning to a bullpen game, sta

rting Brady Basso. The Astros have everything on the line, and with Oakland's league-worst bullpen, Houston looks poised to lock up a playoff spot.

National League

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Division Leaders

1. Milwaukee (102-59)
2. Los Angeles Dodgers (99-62)
3. Atlanta (94-67)

Wild-Card Race

1. San Diego (90-71)
2. Chicago Cubs (88-73)
3. Philadelphia (87-74)
4. Arizona (86-75)

The Philadelphia Phillies should be sending a thank-you note to the San Diego Padres.

After all, San Diego is the only reason the Phillies still control their postseason fate. The Padres won against the Diamondbacks on Saturday, locking up the top wild card spot and setting up a rematch with the Chicago Cubs.

For Philly fans, the Padres win ensured that the team would wake up Sunday still one game ahead of the Diamondbacks for the third Wild Card spot.

But the Diamondbacks own the tie-breaker and, with a win and a Phillies loss, will leapfrog Philadelphia and cement one of the most epic collapses in recent times.

The Phillies have lost four straight, scoring just three runs total.

The bats have to get going eventually, and with a resurgent Zack Wheeler on the mound behind the home crowd, I expect them to beat the Tampa Bay Rays and punch their postseason ticket.