MLB playoff picture 2026: Wild card standings, AL and NL brackets

· Yahoo Sports

The first weekend of September features some critical series in the Major League Baseball pennant races, highlighted by the Philadelphia Phillies hosting the Atlanta Braves for a three-game set with four games separating the two teams in the NL East.

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Atlanta has held first place for nearly five months and heads north to Citizens Bank Park with a four-game advantage atop the division. That lead was 9.5 games as recently as Aug. 14 but the Phillies went 21-7 for the month to get within arm's reach.

Other matchups with playoff implications this weekend include the Arizona Diamondbacks visiting the Houston Astros, the New York Yankees facing the San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox hosting the Minnesota Twins in an AL Central showdown.

Here's a look at the latest standings and projected postseason bracket:

Updated: Friday, Sept. 4, 6 a.m. ET

MLB playoff bracket

American League

  • Byes: Tampa Bay Rays (1), Chicago White Sox (2)
  • Wild card series:
    • Guardians (6) at Astros (3) – winner vs. White Sox
    • Red Sox (5) at Yankees (4) – winner vs. Rays

National League

  • Byes: Brewers (1), Braves (2)
  • Wild card series
    • Cubs (5) at Phillies (4) – winner vs Brewers
    • Diamondbacks (6) at Dodgers (3) – winner vs Braves

AL wild card standings

Top three teams qualify for wild-card series

  1. New York Yankees (80-60) +10 games
  2. Boston Red Sox (76-65) +4.5 games
  3. Cleveland Guardians (70-70)
  4. Texas Rangers (70-71) – 0.5 GB
  5. Toronto Blue Jays (70-71) – 0.5 GB
  6. Baltimore Orioles (69-72) – 1.5 GB
  7. Minnesota Twins (67-73) – 3 GB
  8. Seattle Mariners (66-75) – 4.5 GB
  9. Detroit Tigers (64-75) – 5.5 GB

NL wild card standings

Top three teams qualify

  1. Philadelphia Phillies (79-61) +5.5 games
  2. Chicago Cubs (79-62) +5 games
  3. Arizona Diamondbacks (74-67)
  4. San Diego Padres (73-67) – 0.5 GB
  5. Miami Marlins (71-70) – 3 GB
  6. St. Louis Cardinals (70-70) – 3.5 GB
  7. Pittsburgh Pirates (69-72) – 5 GB

AL East

  1. Tampa Bay Rays (83-57)
  2. New York Yankees (80-60) – 3 GB
  3. Boston Red Sox (76-65) – 7.5 GB

AL Central

  1. Chicago White Sox (73-67)
  2. Cleveland Guardians (70-70) – 3 GB
  3. Minnesota Twins (67-73) – 6 GB

AL West

  1. Houston Astros (72-69)
  2. Texas Rangers (70-71) – 2 GB
  3. Seattle Mariners (66-75) – 6 GB

NL East

  1. Atlanta Braves (83-57)
  2. Philadelphia Phillies (79-61) – 4 GB
  3. Miami Marlins (71-70) – 12.5 GB

NL Central

  1. Milwaukee Brewers (87-54)
  2. Chicago Cubs (79-62) – 8 GB
  3. St. Louis Cardinals (70-70) – 16.5 GB

NL West

  1. Los Angeles Dodgers (83-57)
  2. Arizona Diamondbacks (74-67) – 9.5 GB
  3. San Diego Padres (73-67) – 10 GB

How many teams make the MLB playoffs?

Twelve (12) teams qualify for the Major League Baseball playoffs: three division winners and three wild card teams in each league.

The top two division winners in each league have a bye to the division series .

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB playoff picture 2026: Wild card standings, AL and NL brackets

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