There’s plenty up for grabs in MLB’s final week of the regular season. Here are my top seven things to pay attention to as we reach the finish line of this 2026 season.
Let’s start in Chicago:
Cubs superstar Pete Crow-Armstrong has taken baseball by storm and this week he’s finishing a 2026 campaign that will all but guarantee him the NL MVP Award. But after setting the Cubs’ record for homers by a left-handed hitter last week, there’s more history on the line for PCA.
The center fielder is just two stolen bases away from becoming the seventh member of the 40-40 club, joining: Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Alfonso Soriano, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Shohei Ohtani. Crow-Armstrong could become the third-youngest player to accomplish the feat.
Crow-Armstrong is currently tied for the MLB-lead in homers with 45 alongside Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber and his 38 stolen bases rank fifth in MLB.
The Cubs conclude the season with three games at Wrigley Field against the Miami Marlins and three at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox.
The Chicago White Sox have been one of baseball’s best stories in 2026, but as the season winds down, they’re clearly running out of gas.
The Sox looked to be in full control of the AL Central going into the trade deadline and had a 5 1/2-game lead on Aug. 16. But the White Sox’s biggest weakness, their starting pitching, has crushed them over the past two months. After failing to address the issue in a meaningful way — other than adding right-hander Luis Castillo, who has been a disaster — their season now hangs in the balance.
The Guardians enter Tuesday leading the AL Central by a game after taking two of three from the Sox in Cleveland last week. Chicago has fallen from the No. 2 seed to the No. 6 seed and could still be knocked out of the postseason picture completely this weekend.
They hope to finish their season strong against the Royals and Rockies to close the season, while the Guardians will face the Red Sox and Royals.
The Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber, Brandon Marsh, Bryce Harper and Jhoan Duran have a tough closing slate. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
(Mary DeCicco via Getty Images)
NL wild-card race
There’s still plenty to be decided among the three NL wild-card teams. The Cubs, San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies go into the week within a game of each other. That means any of the three teams could be a week away from hosting a wild-card series next week or heading on the road either to play the first wild card or the No. 3 seed.
The Padres have essentially ended the Arizona Diamondbacks’ postseason hopes as they’ve been baseball’s hottest team in September and are an MLB-best 14-4 this month. The Cubs and Phillies have not been as successful, going 9-9 and 8-10, respectively.
San Diego closes its season with three games against the Los Angeles Dodgers and three vs. the D-backs this week, while the Cubs finish with series against the Marlins and Red Sox.
The Phillies will have the most-challenging week, finishing the season with series against the league’s two projected No. 1 seeds in the Brewers and Rays.
Shohei Ohtani returns
It’s news anytime Shohei Ohtani does something, but the four-time MVP’s much-anticipated return to the Dodgers’ lineup this week is significant. Ohtani has been on the injured list since his stay was backdated to Sept. 8, dealing with a variety of injuries, including his left knee, neck and right biceps. And with the world’s best player solely focusing the rest of this season on hitting, getting him as close to 100% as possible is the Dodgers’ top priority going into October baseball.
The Dodgers’ offense has performed well in Ohtani’s absence. Shortstop Mookie Betts currently has an MLB-leading 1.214 OPS with six homers in September while Teoscar Hernández (1.016 OPS with three homers) and Kyle Tucker are both playing their best baseball of the season.
Tucker’s 1.059 OPS and six homers in September are his highest totals of any month this season.
AL West headed for infamous history?
It’s taken almost the entire season and yet we still don’t have a team in the AL West that wants to take control of the division. But with a week left to play, somebody has to be named champion and the Texas Rangers may be crowned by default.
Entering Tuesday, Texas holds a one-game lead over the Houston Astros, who got swept by the Atlanta Braves amid a pathetic showing this past weekend.
Whichever team wins the AL West might wind up being the worst division winner in MLB history. The team who currently holds that title is the 2005 San Diego Padres, who won the NL West with an 82-80 record. No team has ever reached the postseason .500 or worse, but that is a real possibility this week.
The Rangers will attempt to hold off their in-state rival after series against the Mets and Twins, while the Astros try to stave off elimination against the Mariners and A’s.
Brewers and Dodgers racing for NL’s top seed
The Brewers were the National League’s No. 1 seed in 2025 and once again, Milwaukee is looking to secure home-field advantage through the postseason as the NL’s top seed. Milwaukee, who has already set a franchise record with 98 wins on the season, has a two-game lead over the Dodgers for that top seed entering Tuesday.
Milwaukee will face the Phillies and Cardinals this week, while the Dodgers finish the season against the Padres and Giants.
If the Astros miss the postseason, it won’t be the fault of slugger Yordan Alvarez.
Alvarez has been MLB’s best hitter the majority of the season, slashing .313/.430/.597 with 40 homers, 99 RBI and an MLB-leading 1.027 OPS. The Astros’ designated hitter has been chasing history most of the second half.
While it’s more unlikely now than it was six weeks ago, Alvarez still has an outside shot at the AL Triple Crown. He currently leads the American League with a .313 batting average, but he is one homer behind fellow MVP-hopeful Junior Caminero (41) and six RBI behind Orioles first baseman Pete Alonso (105).
Only Miguel Cabrera (2012) has accomplished the feat in the past 60 years.
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