2026 MLB playoff picture: Standings, bracket, clinching scenarios, postseason projections

The 2026 MLB playoff field will be set in exactly a week, and five teams have now punched their tickets to the postseason. The Brewers, Rays, Yankees, Dodgers and Braves have secured five of the 12 playoff spots, and the Red Sox are set to be the next team to join them.

In the National League, the Brewers and Dodgers have both clinched division titles, and Milwaukee has the inside track to securing the NL’s No. 1 seed. The Braves are closing in on the NL East title, while the Cubs, Phillies and Padres are in strong position to earn wild-card spots as the Diamondbacks fade in the standings. That race heads into Sunday with the Cubs and Padres, the league’s hottest team, tied for the top spot and leading the Phillies by a single game. The Cubs, thanks to a strong record against the Phillies and Padres this year, own the tiebreaker and are currently hanging onto the No. 4 seed, which comes with home-field advantage in the first round. The Padres, meanwhile, have been on an impressive run since Labor Day Weekend.

The division races are more intriguing in the American League. The Guardians have pulled ahead of the White Sox in the AL Central, at least for the moment. The Rangers enter Sunday with a narrow lead over the Astros in the AL West, while the Mariners appear to have run out of steam. The Rays, meanwhile, have opened a five-game lead on the Yankees in the AL East and appear headed to their first division crown since 2021, while the Yankees — who placed Aaron Judge on the injured list again this weekend — and Red Sox appear headed to a meeting in the Wild Card Series.

Now, let’s get you caught up on the bracket, standings, clinching scenarios 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 Guardians
Wild Card Series: No. 3 Rangers vs. No. 6 White Sox, 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 Phillies, No. 4 Cubs vs. No. 5 Padres

Who’s clinched?

• The Brewers have clinched the NL Central.
• The Dodgers have clinched the NL West.
• The Rays and Yankees have clinched AL playoff spots.
• The Braves have clinched an NL playoff spot.

Sunday’s clinching scenarios

• Red Sox can clinch a postseason berth with a win OR an Astros loss.
• Cubs can clinch a postseason berth with a win AND a Diamondbacks loss.
• Braves can clinch the NL East with a win OR a Phillies loss.
• Brewers can clinch a bye in the Wild Card Series and home-field advantage in the NLDS today with a win AND a Braves loss.

American League standings

National League standings

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

MLB wild-card standings

2026 World Series odds

Via Caesars as of Sept. 17

• Dodgers: +200
• Brewers: +550
• Yankees: +750
• Rays: +800
• Braves: +1300
• Cubs: +1400
• Guardians: +1500
• Red Sox: +1600
• Phillies: +1600
• White Sox: +2500
• Padres: +2500
• Rangers: +2800
• Astros: +3000
• Blue Jays: +7000
• Diamondbacks: +20000
• Orioles: +25000
• Tigers: +40000