Braves, Phillies Locked Into MLB's Most Intriguing Playoff Race

Between now and the end of the 2026 Major League Baseball regular season on Sep. 27, there is going to be one National League division race to watch above all else: the National League East.

If the season were to end today, the Atlanta Braves would win the National League East and have the No. 3 seed in the playoffs. The Philadelphia Phillies, on the other hand, would be a Wild Card team, although they do have the top Wild Card spot, at least.

The No. 3 seed in the National League playoffs is going to face the No. 6 seed, which is the third Wild Card team. The top Wild Card team will host the No. 2 Wild Card team in a three-game series. If the season were to end today, the Braves would face the 78-68 San Diego Padres. The Phillies, on the other hand, would face the 81-66 Chicago Cubs. On paper, there's clearly an easier matchup between the Padres and the Cubs.

The NL East Is Still Up In The Air

Sep 9, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) watches his grand slam home run against the Houston Astros during the sixth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There are just a few weeks to go until the regular season wraps up and the Braves currently have a three-game lead over the Phillies. But this race isn't even close to being over. The Braves will face the American League-leading Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday and then kick off a three-game series against the Phillies on Friday at Truist Park. This series could very well determine who wins the NL East, and who has to face the Cubs in the first round of the playoffs.

The Braves are 4-6 over their last 10 games and have lost three straight games. The Phillies are 6-4 over their last 10 games, including a win over the Houston Astros on Wednesday. The Phillies and Braves faced off in a four-game series last week and split the series.

One thing that is in the Braves' favor is the fact that Atlanta has already won the season series against Philadelphia. The Braves are 7-3 against the NL East rival with just three games left to go between the two. That means for the Phillies to move ahead of the Braves, they would need to not only tie Atlanta in the standings, but fully move ahead. So, the Braves' three-game lead over the Phillies is essentially a 3 1/2-game lead right now.

On the other hand, the Phillies have been red-hot recently. John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia pointed out on X that the Phillies have the best record, best rotation ERA and have scored the third-most runs per game.

"The Phillies have had the best record in baseball, 25–11, the best starters ERA in the National League, 2.97, and are scoring the 3rd Most runs per game in baseball, 5.03, since August ," Clark wrote.

There are just 17 days left to go until the regular season wraps up. This race will be the most interesting in the National League. It's not over yet.

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