MLB Playoff Race Enters Final Days With Division and Wild Card Spots Still at Stake

The 2026 MLB regular season enters its final five days with several postseason races still unresolved. While the National League divisions are settled, both the AL Central and AL West remain tight, and the final Wild Card positions could change before Sunday’s finale. The regular season concludes Sunday, Sept. 27, with all 30 teams scheduled to play. The postseason begins just two days later on Tuesday, Sept. 29, with the four best-of-three Wild Card Series. The Division Series begin Oct. 3.

Division Races Near the Finish Line

National League Divisions Already Decided

The National League’s three division champions are set. The Milwaukee Brewers have won the NL Central, the Los Angeles Dodgers secured the NL West and the Atlanta Braves captured the NL East. All three have clinched postseason berths, with Milwaukee and Los Angeles positioned for the NL’s two first-round byes if the current seeding holds.

American League Battles Continue

The American League remains considerably less settled. Tampa Bay leads the AL East and has already secured a playoff berth. Cleveland holds a one-game advantage over the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central. The AL West is even tighter, with Houston and Texas level at 78-79 in the latest standings.

Wild Card Races Remain in Play

National League Race Goes Down to Final Week

Chicago and San Diego are tied at 87-70 atop the NL Wild Card standings, with Philadelphia also 87-70 and sitting one game behind in the seeding race because of tiebreakers. Arizona remains alive at 83-74 but needs help over the final five games. The American League has more uncertainty. New York and Boston have already clinched postseason spots, leaving the final Wild Card position as the primary target. Chicago currently occupies that spot, while the AL West runner-up remains in contention. Toronto is also still mathematically alive entering the final stretch.

MLB Playoff Picture

If the season ended with the current positioning, the playoff field would include Tampa Bay, Cleveland and the AL West winner as division champions, with the Yankees, Red Sox and White Sox occupying the Wild Cards. In the NL, Milwaukee, Los Angeles and Atlanta would be joined by Chicago, San Diego and Philadelphia. The format gives the top two division champions in each league first-round byes. The remaining division champion and three Wild Cards play in the opening best-of-three round.

MLB Pennant Betting Outlook

Dodgers Lead NL Futures Market

Los Angeles remains the overall World Series favorite, while Milwaukee, the Yankees and Tampa Bay also sit prominently in the championship market. The Dodgers were recently around +185 to win the World Series, with Milwaukee +750, New York +850 and Tampa Bay +1100. Current pennant prices vary by sportsbook and can move daily as playoff seeding changes. Based on the latest available league futures betting markets, the leading contenders include:

• American League: New York Yankees +250, Tampa Bay Rays +300, Boston Red Sox +550, Cleveland Guardians +800
• National League: Los Angeles Dodgers -115, Milwaukee Brewers +375, Atlanta Braves +600, Chicago Cubs +900

A Few Games Remain

The final few games could have an outsized effect on those prices. Cleveland and Chicago are separated by only one game in the AL Central, the AL West remains unresolved, and the NL Wild Card teams are still fighting over home-field position for the opening round. With the Wild Card Series beginning Sept. 29, there will be virtually no downtime between Sunday’s regular-season finale and the start of postseason baseball.