2026 MLB playoff picture: Current bracket, division, wild-card standings as regular season enters final month

The Wild Card Series will open on Sept. 29, while a possible Game 7 of the World Series is set for Oct. 31

Sep 1, 2026 at 8:49 am ET • 2 min read

It's crunch time for the dozens of MLB teams that remain within playoff contention as the calendar flips to September, the final month of the 2026 regular season.

This season brings us a muddled mess of the standings, more a reflection of the teams' mediocrity than a flurry of success. As of today, only the Angels, Athletics, Nationals, Mets, Giants and Rockies seem truly out of the postseason race. What's left? The Dodgers have a firm hold on the NL West, and the Brewers are growing their lead over the Cubs in the NL Central. The Rays have held on to the AL East as the Yankees try to overcome a litany of injuries, and the Braves are (so far) holding off the Phillies in the NL East.

The wild-card races are even more of a mess as dozens of teams jockey for a shot at October baseball.

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

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 Cubs vs. No. 5 Phillies

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. 1

• Dodgers: +170
• Brewers: +750
• Yankees: +800
• Rays: +1000
• Braves: +1100
• Red Sox: +1300
• Phillies: +1300
• Cubs: +1400
• Astros: +1500
• White Sox: +2000
• Blue Jays: +3500
• Guardians: +3500
• Rangers: +4000
• Padres: +4000
• Mariners: +5000
• Orioles: +7500
• Diamondbacks: +8000
• Twins: +15000
• Tigers: +20000
• Pirates: +20000
• Marlins: +20000
• Mets: +40000
• Reds: +40000
• Cardinals: +40000
• Nationals: +40000
• Royals: +50000