2026 MLB playoff picture: Standings, current bracket, postseason projections

Playoff races are heating up across baseball; here's a look at what the bracket currently looks like

Sep 10, 2026 at 8:41 am ET • 2 min read

Welcome to the stretch run. Less 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, and almost two-thirds of the league's 30 teams currently sit in playoff position or within five games of a berth.

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. The Braves are hanging on to the NL East lead, but the Phillies have pulled off a remarkable turnaround since a dreadful start that saw manager Rob Thomson fired. Can they finish the job and pull off a division title? Or will they have to settle for a wild-card spot, where they are currently locked in a tight battle with the Cubs for the top National League berth, while the Diamondbacks and Padres jostle for the NL's final postseason seed.

In the American League, each division race is within four games. The Rays 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, but it's a tenuous grasp at best.

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 Phillies vs. No. 5 Cubs

American League standings

AL East	W	L	GB	Div	Post
Tampa Bay Rays	87	58	—	78.6%	100%
New York Yankees	83	62	4.0	21.3%	100%
Boston Red Sox	80	67	8.0	0%	100%
Toronto Blue Jays	73	74	15.0	0%	34.2%
Baltimore Orioles	71	76	17.0	0%	3.6%

AL Central	W	L	GB	Div	Post
Chicago White Sox	75	70	—	74.1%	88.9%
Cleveland Guardians	74	73	2.0	25.6%	53.1%
Minnesota Twins	69	77	6.5	0%	2.4%
Detroit Tigers	67	79	8.5	0%	<1.0%
Kansas City Royals	65	82	11.0	0%	0%

AL West	W	L	GB	Div	Post
Houston Astros	74	72	—	76.4%	80.7%
Texas Rangers	72	74	2.0	20.9%	33.5%
Seattle Mariners	68	78	6.0	2.3%	2.4%
Athletics - e	59	88	15.5	0%	0%
Los Angeles Angels - e	56	90	18.0	0%	0%

National League standings

NL East	W	L	GB	Div	Post
Atlanta Braves	85	61	—	89.1%	100%
Philadelphia Phillies	82	64	3.0	10.9%	98.7%
Miami Marlins	72	75	13.5	0%	<1.0%
New York Mets	68	78	17.0	0%	0%
Washington Nationals	67	81	19.0	0%	0%

NL Central	W	L	GB	Div	Post
Milwaukee Brewers	91	56	—	100%	100%
Chicago Cubs	81	66	10.0	0%	98.2%
Pittsburgh Pirates	73	73	17.5	0%	<1.0%
St. Louis Cardinals	72	75	19.0	0%	<1.0%
Cincinnati Reds	69	77	21.5	0%	0%

NL West	W	L	GB	Div	Post
Los Angeles Dodgers	89	57	—	100%	100%
San Diego Padres	78	68	11.0	0%	62.4%
Arizona Diamondbacks	78	69	11.5	0%	39.9%
San Francisco Giants - e	62	85	27.5	0%	0%
Colorado Rockies - e	55	90	33.5	0%	0%

Clinched division - x
Clinched wild-card - y
Clinched playoff berth - z
Eliminated - e

MLB wild-card standings

AL wild card	W	L	WCGB
New York Yankees	83	62	+10.0
Boston Red Sox	80	67	+6.0
Cleveland Guardians	74	73	---
---------------------	-------	-------	----------
Toronto Blue Jays	73	74	1.0
Texas Rangers	72	74	1.5
Baltimore Orioles	71	76	3.0
Minnesota Twins	69	77	4.5
Seattle Mariners	68	78	5.5
Detroit Tigers	67	79	6.5

NL wild card	W	L	WCGB
Philadelphia Phillies	82	64	+4.0
Chicago Cubs	81	66	+2.5
San Diego Padres	78	68	---
---------------------	-------	-------	-------
Arizona Diamondbacks	78	69	0.5
Pittsburgh Pirates	73	73	5.0
Miami Marlins	72	75	6.5
St. Louis Cardinals	72	75	6.5
Cincinnati Reds	69	77	9.0

2026 World Series odds

Via Caesars as of Sept. 10

• Dodgers: +175
• Brewers: +650
• Yankees: +800
• Rays: +900
• Braves: +1400
• Red Sox: +1400
• Phillies: +1400
• Cubs: +1800
• White Sox: +2000
• Astros: +2000
• Guardians: +2500
• Blue Jays: +2800
• Diamondbacks: +3500
• Padres: +3500
• Rangers: +5000
• Mariners: +10000
• Orioles: +20000
• Cardinals: +30000
• Twins: +30000
• Pirates: +30000
• Tigers: +40000
• Marlins: +40000