The first two teams have punched their tickets to the 2026 MLB postseason, as both the Brewers in the National League and the Rays in the American League secured their playoff berths Friday night. They'll now continue their fight as they try to win the NL Central and AL East, respectively.
The Dodgers, meanwhile, are expected to coast into the bracket any day now and will lock up the NL West in short order. That said, there are intriguing races in all three American League divisions and the NL East. The Braves are hanging on to the NL East lead over the Phillies, who are also in a battle for the top NL wild-card spot. The Padres and Diamondbacks have both heated up recently as they jostle for the sixth and final playoff spot in the NL.
In the American League, each division race is within three games. The Rays, as mentioned, are trying to hold off the Yankees, who finally got Aaron Judge back from injury, 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. The Guardians, barely above .500, currently hold that position while the Blue Jays, Rangers and Orioles jostle just below.
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 Dodgers
Wild Card Series: No. 3 Braves vs. No. 6 Padres, No. 4 Cubs vs. No. 5 Phillies
American League standings
AL EastWLGBDivPostTampa Bay Rays - z8859—79.7%100%New York Yankees85623.020.3%100%Boston Red Sox80688.50%100%Toronto Blue Jays737515.50%27.1%Baltimore Orioles727616.50%6.8%
AL CentralWLGBDivPostChicago White Sox7572—59.6%82.2%Cleveland Guardians75730.540.0%69.2%Minnesota Twins69786.00%1.5%Detroit Tigers 68797.00%<1.0%Kansas City Royals66829.50%0%
AL WestWLGBDivPostHouston Astros7573—87.5%89.7%Texas Rangers72763.010.0%19.6%Seattle Mariners69796.02.0%2.2%Athletics - e608815.00%0%Los Angeles Angels - e569118.50%0%
National League standings
NL EastWLGBDivPostAtlanta Braves8761—97.6%100%Philadelphia Phillies82665.02.5%95.7%Miami Marlins727615.00%<1.0% New York Mets687918.50%0%Washington Nationals688119.50%0%
NL CentralWLGBDivPost Milwaukee Brewers - z9256—100%100%Chicago Cubs826610.00%98.5%Pittsburgh Pirates747418.00%<1.0%St. Louis Cardinals737519.00%<1.0%Cincinnati Reds697822.50%0%
NL WestWLGBDivPost Los Angeles Dodgers9057—100%100%San Diego Padres796811.00%62.0%Arizona Diamondbacks796911.50%43.5% San Francisco Giants - e628628.50%0% Colorado Rockies - e559235.00%0%
Clinched division - x
Clinched wild-card - y
Clinched playoff berth - z
Eliminated - e
MLB wild-card standings
AL wild cardWLWCGBNew York Yankees8562+10.5Boston Red Sox8068+5.0Cleveland Guardians7573------------------------------------------------Toronto Blue Jays73752.0Texas Rangers72763.0Baltimore Orioles72763.0Minnesota Twins69785.5Seattle Mariners69796.0Detroit Tigers68796.5
NL wild cardWLWCGBChicago Cubs8266+2.5Philadelphia Phillies8266+2.5San Diego Padres7968---------------------------------------------Arizona Diamondbacks79690.5Pittsburgh Pirates74745.5St. Louis Cardinals73756.5Miami Marlins72767.5
2026 World Series odds
Via Caesars as of Sept. 12
