Nine MLB Series Open With 2 Division Titles and 1 Wild Card Spot at Stake

3 articles · Updated · MLB.com · Sep 22

Nine series starting Tuesday will shape the final 2026 MLB playoff field, with six spots still open and no first-round bye officially clinched entering the season’s last week.
The tightest AL races center on Cleveland, Chicago, Texas and Houston: the Guardians lead the White Sox by one game in the Central, the Rangers lead the Astros by one game in the West, and all four still face outcomes ranging from division titles to missing October.
Tampa Bay can lock up the AL East with 1 win at Yankee Stadium, while the Yankees are close to securing home field in the Wild Card round with a 5 1/2-game edge over Boston.
In the NL, San Diego could clinch as soon as Tuesday with a five-game cushion over Arizona, while Milwaukee needs 1 win or a Braves loss for a bye and leads the Dodgers by two games for the top seed.
Chicago controls the top NL Wild Card tiebreaker over San Diego, Philadelphia and Arizona, while the Diamondbacks enter Tuesday four games behind the Phillies for the last berth.