MLB Standings Ahead of the Final Week: Brewers on Top, Guardians and Rangers Rise, Blue Jays and Astros Slip

It’s the final week of the 2026 MLB regular season and much is still undecided before the playoff spots are set. Six teams have already secured a place in the finals, while three division titles are confirmed; yet six teams and three divisions are still to be decided in the coming days.

According to Bleacher Report, in the National League all three division races are closed and the three wild-card teams hold a four-game advantage over the other contenders, leaving the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies to decide who will host a Wild Card series and how the road to the NLDS reshuffles, where the Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers already wait. In the American League, the Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox have secured participation; the Rays’ six-game advantage makes the AL East title almost impossible for rivals to take. In the middle, the Cleveland Guardians and Chicago White Sox are battling for the AL Central, the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers for the AL West, and a mix of those teams along with the Toronto Blue Jays are fighting for the third wild-card spot.

The recent standings reflect some notable movement: the Milwaukee Brewers remain the strongest team of the regular season, while the Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Dodgers sit behind them in the top spots. The San Diego Padres have been the hottest team lately, while the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Guardians have climbed positions. Meanwhile, the Toronto Blue Jays and Houston Astros have lost ground and are now three games back for the third wild-card spot.

There are also individual and team issues that will affect expectations: the Brewers emerged as the team with the largest run differential of the season, while some teams got a boost from key performances. For example, several of the Guardians’ top starters have had a decisive season that put them in a favorable position for October, and the steady performances of several pitchers show that much will depend on the state of the rotation and the bullpen in the final week.

A very busy weekend is expected where the fate of many teams and the hosting spots for the first playoff series will be decided; according to Bleacher Report, the final week’s results will decisively determine the makeup and positions of the elimination phase.