Mom’s MLB ticket surprise sends boys running and crying
In Charlotte, NC, Charlie Sue surprised her sons, Austin and Ducky, with tickets to see the Red Sox, sending the boys running and crying in joy.
The dog days of summer are about to give way to a heated stretch run in Major League Baseball.
The Atlanta Braves saw their lead in the NL East whittled down to three games by the red-hot Philadelphia Phillies, potentially setting the stage for a competitive division race we didn’t think we’d have down the stretch.
On the wave of their current nine-game winning streak, the Phils dramatically improved their playoff position over the past week, gaining serious ground on the Braves and moving into the NL’s second wild-card spot with five weeks remaining in the regular season.
Elsewhere, the division leaders remain the same as last week, but the jockeying for the final wild cards remains hot and heavy, especially in the AL.
Here’s where things stand in the American and National League playoff races as the new week gets underway:
Current MLB playoff picture
All records and stats are as of the start of play on Monday, Aug. 24.
Division leaders
Wild-card standings
Three teams in each league qualify for wild-card playoff spots. Here are the wild-card standings through games of Sunday, Aug. 23:
American League
National League
MLB postseason format
The division winners with the two best records in each league earn byes into the division series. Currently, the top seeds are the Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago White Sox in the AL, and the Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL.
The third division winner in each league will have home field advantage in their division series and will host the wild-card team with the worst record. Three teams in each league qualify for wild-card playoff berths.
Note: If two or more teams tie for a division title or a wild-card spot. Ties are broken by head-to-head record first, followed by intradivision record. Beyond that, things can get complicated.
The playoffs follow this format:
- Wild-card series: Best of 3
- Division series: Best of 5
- League championship series: Best of 7
- World Series: Best of 7
Key MLB postseason dates
The official 2026 MLB postseason schedule has been released.
Sunday, Sept. 27: Final day of 2026 regular season
Tuesday, Sept. 29: Wild-card playoff round begins
Saturday, Oct. 3: AL/NL division series begin
Sunday, Oct. 11: NL championship series begins
Monday, Oct. 12: AL championship series begins
Friday, Oct. 23: World Series begins