MLB playoff picture: Wild card standings, AL and NL postseason bracket

The Major League Baseball season is down to its final days with plenty of uncertainty and playoff spots still to be clinched.

In the AL West, the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros have been exchanging first place in recent days and it's the Rangers who hold a one-game lead entering play on Tuesday, Sept. 22. The Cleveland Guardians have overtaken the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central, but the Sox are still likely to earn a wild card spot.

The Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies basically have the NL's three wild card spots locked up, but only one game separating the three teams in the seeding.

The regular season ends on Sunday, Sept. 27, with the best-of-three wild card series beginning two days later.

Here's the latest standings and updates on the MLB playoff race:

MLB playoff bracket 2026

#-division champion; *clinched at least a wild card spot

American League

• Byes:Tampa Bay Rays# (1), Cleveland Guardians (2)

• Wild card series:

  • White Sox (6) at Astros (3) – Winner vs. Guardians

  • Red Sox* (5) at Yankees* (4) – Winner vs. Rays

National League

• Byes:Milwaukee Brewers# (1), Los Angeles Dodgers# (2)

• Wild card series:

  • Padres (6) at Braves# (3) – Winner vs. Dodgers

  • Phillies (5) at Cubs (4) – Winner vs. Brewers

AL wild card standings

Top three teams qualify

1. *New York Yankees (90-67) +9 games

2. Boston Red Sox (84-73) +3 games

3. Chicago White Sox (81-76)

4. Texas Rangers (78-79) – 3 GB

5. Toronto Blue Jays (77-80) – 4 GB

6. Baltimore Orioles (76-81) – 5 GB

NL wild card standings

Top three teams qualify

1. Chicago Cubs (87-70)

2. Philadelphia Phillies (87-70)

3. San Diego Padres (87-70)

4. Arizona Diamondbacks (83-74) – 4 GB

AL East

1. Tampa Bay Rays (96-61) - winners of AL East

AL Central

1. Cleveland Guardians (82-75)

2. Chicago White Sox (81-76) – 1 GB

AL West

1. Houston Astros (78-79)

2. Texas Rangers (78-79)

3. Seattle Mariners (73-84) – 5 GB

NL East

1. Atlanta Braves (92-65) – winners of NL East

NL Central

1. Milwaukee Brewers (98-59) − winners of NL Central

NL West

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (96-60) – winners of NL West

*clinched at least a wild card spot

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