Top MLB Games, Storylines That Matter in the Regular Season’s Final Week

The Rangers enter the season’s final week a game ahead in the AL West. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Six teams have secured their place in the 2026 postseason, with the Braves, Brewers, Dodgers, Rays, Yankees and Red Sox all having clinched a postseason berth with the regular season winding down. That said, there are six vacancies remaining in the playoffs, three in each league.

With half of the postseason bids still up for grabs, the stakes will be raised for various teams during the final week of the regular season. The campaign officially comes to a close on Sunday, so it’s officially do-or-die time for those still on the postseason bubble.

With a week to go, we’re going to look at the MLB playoff picture and standings, as well as highlight some key games that could determine the races.

MLB wild-card standings

American League

Team	Wins	Losses	Winning Percentage	Games Back
Division Leaders
Tampa Bay Rays	95	60	.613	--
Cleveland Guardians	81	75	.519	--
Texas Rangers	78	78	.500	--
Wild Card
New York Yankees	89	65	.578	+10
Boston Red Sox	84	72	.538	+4
Chicago White Sox	80	76	.513	0
Toronto Blue Jays	77	79	.494	3
Houston Astros	77	79	.494	3
Baltimore Orioles	75	81	.484	5

National League

Team	Wins	Losses	Winning Percentage	Games Back
Division Leaders
Milwaukee Brewers	97	58	.626	--
Los Angeles Dodgers	95	60	.613	--
Atlanta Braves	92	64	.590	--
Wild Card
Chicago Cubs	87	69	.558	+1
San Diego Padres	87	69	.558	+1
Philadelphia Phillies	86	70	.551	0
Arizona Diamondbacks	82	74	.526	4

Diamondbacks starter Corbin Burnes made his third start of the season on Sunday. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Key series in the final week of the MLB season

Blue Jays at Orioles (Sept. 21 to 23)

Both the Jays and Orioles remain on the edge of contention for the postseason, sitting three and five games back, respectively, in the wild-card race. It would take some good fortune for either team to leapfrog the White Sox for the lead for wild-card, though a sweep for either team could put them within reach ahead of their final series of the season.

Astros at Mariners (Sept. 22 to 23)

The Mariners were eliminated Sunday from postseason contention, but they could play spoiler for Houston, as the Astros still have everything to play for. Houston surrendered its division lead to the Rangers, and now finds itself one game back in the division and three games back in the wild-card race. The Astros have a favorable schedule for the remainder of the season, set to play two games in Seattle and then four on the road against the Athletics.

Mets at Rangers (Sept. 22 to 24)

The Rangers are looking to hold onto their lead in the AL West, and they’ll take on the Mets in what will be a critical three-game series at Globe Life Field. With the Astros lurking just one game back, Texas needs to take care of business at home against a Mets team that’s struggled all season. As it stands, whatever team fails to win the AL West will also find themselves out of a playoff position, barring a collapse from the White Sox or Guardians.

White Sox at Royals (Sept. 22 to 24)

The White Sox surrendered the division lead to the Guardians, but they’re still clinging onto the final spot in the AL wild-card standings. They’ll be on the road against the rival Royals for a three-game series from Monday to Wednesday, and anything less than two wins in that set could prove disastrous with the Astros sitting two games back in the wild-card race. The White Sox trail the Guardians by one game and are three games up in the wild-card race.

Guardians at Red Sox (Sept. 22 to 24)

Leading the White Sox in the AL Central by just one game, the Guardians have a difficult test looming starting on Monday, set to travel to Boston to take on the Red Sox at Fenway Park in a three-game series. The Red Sox just clinched a playoff berth Sunday and are more or less locked into the AL’s No. 5 seed, so they may be resting some key players. If the Guardians falter, they could lose the AL Central for the first time since 2023, who end the season with favorable matchups against the Royals and Rockies.

Brewers at Phillies (Sept. 22 to 24)

The Phillies have a four-game lead in the wild-card race in the National League, but they have some difficult matchups looming, which could potentially open the door for the Diamondbacks to get back in the mix. Philadelphia will host the Brewers and Rays, the top teams in the National League and American League, respectively, for their final six games. If they stumble in those matchups, Arizona, who takes on the Rockies and the Padres to close out the year, could potentially vault back up the standings and make a last-second push for the final wild-card spot.

Padres at Dodgers (Sept. 22 to 24)

The Padres have a five-game cushion between them and the Diamondbacks in the postseason hunt, currently holding onto the NL’s second wild-card spot. But they’ll be on the road for a difficult three-game series against the Dodgers this week. With Arizona set to take on the Rockies––MLB’s worst team, it’ll be crucial for the Padres to come away with at least one, but ideally two-plus wins in Los Angeles ahead of their final series of the season, when they host the D-Backs. Depending upon how their upcoming series goes, that matchup with Arizona could prove pivotal for the playoff picture.

Diamondbacks at Padres (Sept. 25 to 27)

The Diamondbacks are down, but not out, in the NL wild-card race. They trail the Phillies by four games for the final postseason bid, and assuming they get the job done in their series against the Rockies, they could be within reach of sneaking into the playoffs. The Phillies have some tough matchups looming, too. They’ll take on the Brewers and the Rays to close out the season, neither of which will be easy tasks. Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks close out the campaign with a three-game set at Petco Park against the Padres, who are five games ahead of them.

Justin Verlander is set to make the final start of his career Saturday. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Storylines to follow in final week of the regular season

Pete Crow-Armstrong’s 40–40 pursuit

With seven games remaining in the regular season, Pete Crow-Armstrong has hit 44 home runs and stolen 37 bases. He’ll be in pursuit of a 40–40 season as the campaign winds down, needing just three steals to become the seventh player in league history to join the hallowed club consisting of Barry Bonds, Jose Canseco, Alfonso Soriano, Alex Rodriguez, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Shohei Ohtani.

Yordan Alvarez could win the AL Triple Crown

If Alvarez can get hot during the stretch run of the season, he could potentially win the AL Triple Crown. In doing so, he’d become the first player to win the Triple Crown since Miguel Cabrera did so in 2012. Alvarez leads the league in batting average (.311) and is second in both home runs (40) and RBIs (99). He trails Junior Caminero by one home run for the AL lead, but it’s RBIs that will be a tall task, as he trails Pete Alonso by six in the category with just seven games to play.

Justin Verlander’s final start

Justin Verlander, one of the greatest pitchers of this generation, is set to make the final start of his illustrious career when the Tigers take on the Pirates in their season-ending series. The 43-year-old is scheduled to make his final outing on Saturday at Comerica Park, the same stadium where he made his first start way back in 2005, more than two decades ago. Verlander’s start on Saturday will be the 557th of his Hall of Fame career, and fans in Detroit will give him the special sendoff he deserves.

The lackluster AL West could set MLB history

The 2005 Padres hold the record for the worst record by a division-winning team in MLB history. That year, San Diego clinched the NL West with an 82–80 record. There’s a real chance that record is broken by the Rangers or Astros, who are competing for the AL West crown. Texas sits in first in the division at 78–78 with seven games left to play, while Houston is a game behind at 77–79. The Rangers would need to win five of their last six games to avoid tying or breaking San Diego’s record, and the Astros would need to win out.

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