AL West and NL Wild Card to Be Decided on MLB’s Final Day of Regular Season

The 2026 Major League Baseball regular season will require all 162 games before the full playoff field is set. Entering play Saturday, there was a chance all 12 October clubs could have been decided, but only the Cleveland Guardians and San Diego Padres locked in their spots. The Guardians clinched their third straight AL Central title with an 11-5 win over the Kansas City Royals, while the Padres secured home-field advantage for the wild-card round. Two key races remain: the American League West and the National League’s third wild-card berth.

AL West: Astros and Rangers to the wire

The Texas Rangers kept their division hopes alive with a 6-2, rain-delayed win over the Minnesota Twins on Saturday, moving to 80-81. The Houston Astros, who were scheduled to play later against the Athletics, could not clinch regardless of their result Saturday. Houston holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Texas, meaning the Rangers need a win combined with an Astros loss to take the division.

Whoever wins the AL West will be the No. 3 seed in the American League and host a best-of-three Wild Card Series against the Chicago White Sox, who are locked into the No. 6 seed. The White Sox (83-78) lost 9-6 to the Colorado Rockies on Saturday, ending their hopes of catching Cleveland in the AL Central. Chicago is the first team to reach the postseason after consecutive 100-loss seasons.

The AL West champion will have the lowest win total by a division winner in a non-shortened season. The Astros entered Saturday with a 79-81 record, while the Rangers are 80-81.

NL wild card: Phillies’ September collapse meets final test

The Philadelphia Phillies have seen a 6 1/2-game lead for the third NL wild card on Sept. 1 evaporate. After a 12-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday, the Phillies have dropped four straight games and are 9-14 in September. Their magic number remained at two, meaning they need a win Sunday or a Diamondbacks loss to secure a fifth straight postseason berth.

Arizona played at San Diego on Saturday night, one game behind the Phillies. The Diamondbacks hold the tiebreaker over Philadelphia, so a Phillies loss combined with a Diamondbacks win would hand the spot to Arizona. The Phillies will start Zack Wheeler on Sunday against the Rays to try and avoid the franchise’s worst collapse since 1964.

The Padres’ win Saturday also clinched home-field advantage for the wild-card round. San Diego will face the Chicago Cubs in a best-of-three series, a rematch of last year’s matchup at Wrigley Field.

Sunday’s key matchups (all times ET)

American League: Astros at Athletics, 3:05 p.m.; Rangers at Twins, 3:10 p.m.

National League: Phillies vs. Rays, 3:05 p.m.; Diamondbacks at Padres, 3:10 p.m.

Cleveland’s title and Verlander’s farewell

The Guardians clinched their seventh division crown in 11 seasons with a five-homer performance against Kansas City. José Ramírez and the Guardians will be the No. 2 seed in the AL, earning a bye into a best-five Division Series. They will face the winner of the Wild Card Series between the White Sox and the AL West champion.

In Detroit, future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander made an emotional final appearance on a major league mound, allowing two runs over 5 1/3 innings. The 43-year-old right-hander was making just his second start of the year after a season derailed by hip and hamstring issues. He exited the game accompanied by his 7-year-old daughter. The Tigers rallied for a 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Eduardo Valencia’s game-ending two-run homer.

What to watch Sunday

For AL West fans: The Astros and Rangers both play early-afternoon games. If the Astros win, they take the division regardless of the Rangers’ result. If the Astros lose and the Rangers win, Texas claims the title.

For NL wild-card watchers: The Phillies need a win or a Diamondbacks loss. A Phillies loss and a Diamondbacks win sends Arizona to the postseason.

The full playoff bracket will be finalized by late Sunday afternoon, with Wild Card Series play beginning Tuesday.

Source: Sportsnet – MLB Playoff Roundup: What’s at stake on final day (https://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/article/mlb-playoff-roundup-whats-at-stake-on-final-day/)