The lengthy Major League Baseball season has reached its critical September phase, with both the Cubs and White Sox fervently competing for playoff positions. The Cubs are poised to secure second place in the National League Central for the fourth consecutive year, as the Milwaukee Brewers have clinched their fourth straight division title. Meanwhile, the White Sox find themselves in a tight race with the Cleveland Guardians for the American League Central title, aiming to complete an extraordinary transformation from worst to first after enduring over 100 losses in each of the past three seasons.

Cubs

Chicago Cubs designated hitter Matt Shaw left fans disappointed after flying out to end the seventh inning against the Miami Marlins at Wrigley Field on September 22, 2026. Despite the setback, the Cubs maintain a strong position.

• Record: 87-70 as of Tuesday.
• Wild-card spot magic number: 1 (requires any combination of Cubs wins and Arizona Diamondbacks losses).
• Recent result: 8-2 defeat against the Miami Marlins in extra innings.
• Games remaining: 5.
• Division standings: Brewers have clinched the NL Central.
• NL wild card: Cubs, Phillies, and Padres share the top position. Diamondbacks trail by four games.
• Last playoff appearance: 2025 as the NL’s No. 4 seed. Defeated the Padres 2-1, then fell to the Brewers 3-2.
• Postseason history: 22 appearances over 150 seasons — eight division titles, four wild-card berths, 17 pennants, and three championships (1907, 1908, 2016).

Pete Crow-Armstrong: Pursuing the rare 40-40 milestone with 45 home runs and 39 stolen bases. Notable MLB players who achieved this include José Canseco (1988), Barry Bonds (1996), Alex Rodriguez (1998), Alfonso Soriano (2006), Ronald Acuna Jr. (2023), and Shohei Ohtani (2024).

White Sox

Chase Meidroth of the Chicago White Sox delivered a remarkable three-run home run, celebrated by teammates Munetaka Murakami and others, during a high-scoring game against the Kansas City Royals.

• Record: 81-76 as of Tuesday.
• Wild-card spot magic number: 3 (any combination of Sox wins and Houston Astros losses).
• Recent result: Triumphed 14-11 over the Royals.
• Games remaining: 5.
• Division standings: Trailing Guardians by one game. Sox hold the tiebreaker.
• AL wild card: No. 3 position, three games ahead of the Rangers and four ahead of the Blue Jays.
• Last playoff appearance: 2021 as AL Central champions, losing to the Astros 3-1.
• Postseason history: 11 appearances over 125 seasons — six division titles, one wild-card berth, six pennants, and three championships (1906, 1917, 2005).

Playoff Format

• Wild-card round: September 29-October 1, best of three, held at higher seed’s venue. Matches include No. 5 at No. 4, and No. 6 at No. 3. Top two seeds receive byes.
• Division series: October 3-10, best of five with 2-2-1 format. Matches feature No. 1 versus No. 4/5 winner, No. 2 versus No. 3/6 winner.
• League Championship Series: October 11-20, best of seven, 2-3-2 format.
• World Series: October 23-31, best of seven, 2-3-2 format.