Could Shohei Ohtani’s health jeopardize Dodgers’ playoff run?
Bob Nightengale examines concerns surrounding Shohei Ohtani’s health and what they could mean for the Dodgers as they prepare for another playoff run.
Sports Seriously
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 leading 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 Rangers (3) – Winner vs. Guardians
- Red Sox (5) at Yankees* (4) – Winner vs. Rays
National League
AL wild card standings
Top three teams qualify
- *New York Yankees (89-66) +9.5 games
- Boston Red Sox (84-72) +4 games
- Chicago White Sox (80-76)
- Houston Astros (77-79) – 2 GB
- Toronto Blue Jays (77-80) – 3.5 GB
- Baltimore Orioles (76-81) – 4.5 GB
NL wild card standings
Top three teams qualify
- Chicago Cubs (87-69) +1 game
- San Diego Padres (87-69) +1 game
- Philadelphia Phillies (86-70)
- Arizona Diamondbacks (82-74) – 4 GB
AL East
- *Tampa Bay Rays (95-60)
- *New York Yankees (89-66) – 5 GB
AL Central
- Cleveland Guardians (81-75)
- Chicago White Sox (80-76) – 1 GB
AL West
- Texas Rangers (78-79)
- Houston Astros (77-79) – 1 GB
- Seattle Mariners (73-83) –56 GB
NL East
- Atlanta Braves (91-64) – winners of NL East
NL Central
- Milwaukee Brewers (97-58) − winners of NL Central
NL West
- Los Angeles Dodgers (95-60) – winners of NL West
*clinched at least a wild card spot