Everything at Stake in MLB's Final Week of 2026 Season

There's no going back now. The 2026 MLB season has reached its final week, and it can't be emphasized strongly enough how much is up in the air.

Six playoff spots are still up for grabs, including three tied to American League division titles. We also have a Triple Crown pursuit, a home run race going down to the wire, and all sorts of odds and ends that might surprise you.

Come, let us take a deep breath and dive deep into all that these last six days will determine.

Playoff Predictions Entering Last Week 🔮

Note: All odds are according to FanDuel .

All 3 American League Division Races are Undecided

Tampa Bay Rays: 95-60 -- GB (4 at NYY, 3 at PHI)

New York Yankees: 89-66, 6.0 GB (4 vs. TBR, 3 vs. BAL)

This one is pretty much wrapped up, as the Rays have a magic number of just 2 heading into a seven-game road trip that starts with a double-header against the Yankees on Tuesday. The Rays should be able to finish this one off.

Cleveland Guardians: 81-75 -- GB (3 at BOS, 3 at KCR)

Chicago White Sox: 80-76, 1.0 GB (3 at KCR, 3 vs. COL)

Everyone else in the AL Central has been eliminated, so it's just the Guardians and White Sox duking it out for the division title and (as of now) the AL's No. 2 seed and a first-round bye.

The White Sox have the softer landing, whereras the Guardians have momentum. They're 12-7 in September, with the White Sox hitting the skids at 8-11. That sure looks like it's going to end up being the difference in this race.

If it comes down to a tie, the White Sox would win courtesy of a 7-6 head-to-head record against the Guardians.

Odds to Win AL Central: Guardians -124, White Sox +106

Texas Rangers: 78-78 -- GB (3 vs. NYM, 3 at MIN)

Houston Astros: 77-79, 1.0 GB (2 at SEA, 4 at ATH)

Seattle Mariners: 73-83, 5.0 GB (2 vs. HOU, 4 vs. LAA)

Yes, the Mariners are improbably still alive in the AL West. Their "tragic number" stands at 2, so they basically need to win out and hope the Rangers and Astros do nothing but lose.

The Rangers have the edge because they have gone 10-8 in September, compared to 7-11 for Houston. Yordan Alvarez has tried to rally the troops , but Astros fans should be warned: Seattle has had Houston's number in recent seasons, and the A's have been playing spoiler lately.

The Astros went 9-4 against the Rangers, so they would have the advantage in the event of a tie.

Odds to win AL West: Rangers -146, Astros +126

There Are Still 4 Wild Card Spots Available

* New York Yankees: 89-66, +9.5 GB (4 vs. TBR, 3 vs. BAL)

* Boston Red Sox: 84-72, +4.0 GB (3 vs. CLE, 3 vs. CHC)

Chicago White Sox: 80-76, -- GB (3 at KCR, 3 vs. COL)

Toronto Blue Jays: 77-80, 3.5 GB (2 at BAL, 3 vs. CIN)

Houston Astros: 77-79, 3.0 GB (2 at SEA, 4 at ATH)

Baltimore Orioles: 76-81, 4.5 GB (2 vs. TOR, 3 at NYY)

One takeaway here is how much is at stake in the AL West race between the Rangers, Astros and Mariners. It's already win-or-go-home for the Mariners, while neither the Rangers nor the Astros can count on the wild card as a safety net.

The AL Central contenders have more wiggle room, though both the Guardians and White Sox need to mind their tiebreakers . The Guardians only hold a tiebreaker over the Orioles, while the White Sox have tiebreakers on Toronto and Texas in addition to Cleveland.

The Red Sox can't catch the Rays, but they could still hypothetically steal the No. 4 seed from the Yankees. That would set up a Wild Card Series between the two clubs at Fenway Park instead of Yankee Stadium.

Chicago Cubs: 87-69, +1.0 GB (3 vs. MIA, 3 vs. BOS)

San Diego Padres: 87-69, +1.0 GB (3 at LAD, 3 vs. ARI)

Philadelphia Phillies: 86-70, -- GB (3 vs. MIL, 3 vs. TBR)

Arizona Diamondbacks: 82-74, 4.0 GB (3 at COL, 3 vs. SDP)

Nobody here has clinched a playoff spot, though there's no doubt that the Cubs have the strongest hand. They hold tiebreakers over all three pursuers: San Diego, Philadelphia, and Arizona.

The Phillies hold the tiebreaker over the Padres, but not the Cubs. As such, they'll need to claim the top spot and No. 4 seed outright if they want to host a Wild Card Series at Citizens Bank Park.

The D-backs didn't help their cause with losses in five out six between September 12 and 18, but they did rally to win the last two of a three-game set against the Yankees. Their upcoming series against San Diego could prove crucial, as it will decide the two team's tiebreaker.

Pete Crow-Armstrong Goes for the HR Title and a 40-40 Season

It's still technically possible for Caminero, Olson or Alvarez to claim MLB's overall home run title, but even calling it "unlikely" feels like a kindness. This race is between PCA and Schwarbs.

Schwarber already has a pair of NL home run titles, but he's not the hotter slugger of the two as we head into the home stretch. Crow-Armstrong has seven home runs in September, compared to Schwarber's five.

Meanwhile, PCA also needs just two stolen bases to notch the seventh 40-40 season in major league history. After stealing two bases in his last 10 games, he needs to pick up the pace.

Yordan Alvarez Goes for the AL Triple Crown

It's close between Alvarez and Simpson, but the former has been heating up since his batting average dropped to .310 for a couple of days earlier in September. He went 8-for-20 in Houston's last two series, while Simpson is "only" hitting .301 in September.

Just to make sure they get credit, don't count out Ben Rice (39) or Pete Alonso (39) coming from behind in this race. Yet all eyes are on Caminero and Alvarez, who have homered four times and three times in September, respectively.

This is where Alvarez really needs to get on his horse, as he's already let Alonso take over the RBI lead this month. Alonso has driven in 17 runs in September, compared to Alvarez's five.

Luis Arraez Goes for a 4th Batting Title, with a Twist

Arraez is batting .313, giving him a comfy six-point cushion over Gabriel Moreno (.307) for the NL lead. If he holds on, he would win his fourth batting title… with his fourth different team. That would be a first for MLB history .

Jacob Misioroski and Cam Schlittler Chase MLB History

Misiorowski has a 1.86 ERA and 247 strikeouts, while Schlittler has a 1.94 ERA and 234 strikeouts. If they keep their ERAs under 2.00, this will be the first season since 1972 with two pitchers with a sub-2.00 ERA and 230-plus strikeouts.

The Astros threw a combined no-hitter on May 25, but there still hasn't been a no-no by a single pitcher since Blake Snell in 2024. If the drought continues, 2025 and 2026 would become the first back-to-back seasons without a no-hitter by a single pitcher since 1932-1933.

While fellow future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer's 2027 plans remain unclear, Verlander said 2026 will be his last MLB season. The three-time Cy Young Award winner is tentatively set to take the mound one last time for the Detroit Tigers on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Elly De La Cruz needs two home runs and two stolen bases to secure his first 30-30 season.

Chandler Simpson is four stolen bases away from 50.

Alec Burleson (111) leads Sal Stewart (110) by one in the NL RBI chase.

Michael Wacha needs 5.2 innings in his last start to reach 200 for the season.

Bryan Baker (40) has a one-save lead on Cade Smith (39) in the AL.

Riley O'Brien (38) has a one-save lead on Mason Miller (37) in the NL.

Aaron Nola and Shota Imanaga (34) are trying to avoid leading MLB in home runs allowed.

The Milwaukee Brewers need two more wins for their first 100-win season.

The Colorado Rockies' next loss will make it 100 for a fourth year in a row.

Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference , FanGraphs and Baseball Savant .