Aaron Judge is back with Yankees: How big will his impact be?
Bob Nightengale breaks down Aaron Judge’s return to the Yankees and how much of a difference the superstar slugger can make down the stretch.
Sports Seriously
The 2026 regular season is into its final two weeks, with half of Major League Baseball’s divisions still up for grabs.
In the AL East, the New York Yankees have closed the gap on the first-place Tampa Bay Rays and begin a climactic series beginning Tuesday, September 22. The Chicago White Sox are trying to hold off the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central and the Houston Astros barely lead the Texas Rangers with both teams hovering around .500.
The AL wild card’s final spot has four teams within three games, the Guardians ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays, Rangers and Baltimore Orioles entering play Tuesday. The red-hot San Diego Padres have opened up some distance for the third NL wild card spot over the Arizona Diamondbacks, and the two teams end the season facing each other at Petco Park.
The regular season ends on Sunday, Sept. 27, with the postseason beginning on Sept. 29.
Here’s the latest postseason bracket and standings:
Entering play Tuesday, Sept. 15
MLB playoff bracket
*clinched at least a wild card spot
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
AL wild card standings
Top three teams qualify
- *New York Yankees (87-63) +11.5 games
- Boston Red Sox (82-68) +6.5 games
- Cleveland Guardians (76-75)
- Toronto Blue Jays (75-76) – 1 GB
- Texas Rangers (74-76) – 1.5 GB
- Baltimore Orioles (73-78) – 3 GB
- Detroit Tigers (71-79) – 4.5 GB
- Seattle Mariners (70-80) – 5.5 GB
- Minnesota Twins (70-80) – 5.5 GB
NL wild card standings
Top three teams qualify
- Chicago Cubs (84-67) +1.5 games
- Philadelphia Phillies (83-67) +1 game
- San Diego Padres (82-68)
- Arizona Diamondbacks (80-71) – 2.5 GB
- Pittsburgh Pirates (75-75) – 6.5 GB
- St. Louis Cardinals (75-76) – 7 GB
- Miami Marlins (74-76) – 7.5 GB
AL East
- *Tampa Bay Rays (90-59)
- *New York Yankees (87-63) – 3.5 GB
- Boston Red Sox (82-68) – 8.5 GB
AL Central
- Chicago White Sox (77-73)
- Cleveland Guardians (76-75) – 1.5 GB
- Detroit Tigers (71-79) – 6 GB
- Minnesota Twins (70-80) – 7 GB
AL West
- Houston Astros (75-75)
- Texas Rangers (74-76) – 1 GB
- Seattle Mariners (70-81) – 5.5 GB
NL East
- Atlanta Braves (88-63)
- Philadelphia Phillies (83-67) – 4.5 GB
NL Central
- *Milwaukee Brewers (93-57)
- Chicago Cubs (84-67) – 9.5 GB
NL West
- *Los Angeles Dodgers (91-59)
- San Diego Padres (82-68) – 9 GB
- Arizona Diamondbacks (80-71) – 11.5 GB
*clinched at least a wild card spot