Where Diamondbacks Stand in Playoff Chase After Successful Road Trip

The Arizona Diamondbacks have won back-to-back series, including taking two of three from the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium most recently.

Arizona has continued to plug along in the playoff chase, keeping pace with the other National League contenders and weaving in and out of the third and final Wild Card berth.

The Diamondbacks have an off day Thursday, after returning home to Chase Field to begin a lengthy nine-game homestand.

Arizona will face off against the Texas Rangers, Miami Marlins and New York Yankees before heading out to finish their season on the road against the Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres. The Diamondbacks' playoff hopes may very well come down to that final weekend in San Diego.

Here's how the playoff picture looks for the Diamondbacks after a successful 4-2 road trip to Houston and Kansas City.

Where Diamondbacks stand in playoff picture after road trip

Sep 7, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte (4) throws to first base during the fourth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Arizona is offset with the Padres by half a game, meaning, the D-backs have played one more game than the Padres thus far this season. That won't change until San Diego plays the Rockies on September 17, while Arizona has a scheduled off day.

What this means, of course, is that those two clubs have been trading blows and alternating in and out of the final playoff berth.

As of Thursday, the Padres hold that spot by half a game, sitting at 78-68, 10 games over .500. The Diamondbacks are 78-69, nine games over.

The Philadelphia Phillies (82-65) and Chicago Cubs (81-66) occupy the first and second Wild Card slots. They are a bit ahead of Arizona and San Diego, but have seen their large cushions begin to evaporate to a degree. It would not be a shock to see these four contenders shuffle their positioning as the final few weeks of the season progress.

There is a bit of a drop-off between the D-backs and Padres and the next few teams below them. The Pittburgh Pirates, at 73-73, and the Miami Marlins, at 72-75, are the next closest clubs.

It is worth noting, however, that the Diamondbacks will have to face the Marlins for three games on September 14-16, after they were swept out of Miami earlier in the year. Arizona may not need to claim a season-series tiebreaker, but losing that series could allow the Marlins to climb back into the picture a bit.

No matter what, it certainly appears that this playoff race is going to be thrilling, down to the final few games of the year.

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