The MLB season has reached a critical stage, and both the Chicago Cubs and White Sox are in the playoff race. The Cubs, set to finish second in the National League Central for the fourth year in a row, have witnessed the Milwaukee Brewers clinching the division title once again.

Meanwhile, the White Sox are engaged in a close contest with the Cleveland Guardians for leadership in the American League Central. Following three consecutive seasons with over 100 losses, the Sox aim to transition from worst to first.

Cubs

The Cubs have accumulated a record of 87-69 by Sunday. They have a magic number of 1, determined by a combination of Cubs wins and Arizona Diamondbacks losses. Recently, they defeated the Cincinnati Reds 9-1. With six games left, the Cubs are positioned in the NL wild card race. The Brewers have already secured the division.

Presently, the Cubs are ahead by half a game over the San Diego Padres for the top wild card spot and one game ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies. The Diamondbacks trail the Phillies by 4½ games. Notably, the Cubs have the tiebreaker advantage against all teams in contention.

The Cubs last reached the playoffs in 2025 as the fourth seed, where they overcame the Padres before losing to the Brewers. Historically, the Cubs have made 22 playoff appearances, with three championship wins in 1907, 1908, and 2016.

Player Pete Crow-Armstrong is nearing a significant achievement, striving to become the seventh player to record 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a season. His current statistics are 45 home runs and 38 stolen bases. Previous players who reached this milestone include José Canseco, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Alfonso Soriano, Ronald Acuna Jr., and Shohei Ohtani.

White Sox

The White Sox hold a record of 79-76 as of Saturday. Their magic number for a wild-card position is 5, considering Sox wins alongside Houston Astros and Toronto Blue Jays losses. They recently secured a 3-1 win over the Detroit Tigers.

The Sox trail one game behind the Guardians in the AL Central standings. If their final records match, the Sox possess the tiebreaker and would seize the division title. Currently, they occupy the third wild card spot, leading the Astros by 2½ games and the Blue Jays by 3 games. While the Sox have the advantage over the Blue Jays in tiebreaker terms, the Astros hold it over them.

The last playoff entry for the White Sox was in 2021, where they became AL Central champions before losing to the Astros in the division series. Over 125 seasons, the Sox have appeared in the playoffs 11 times, securing three championship wins in 1906, 1917, and 2005.

Playoff Format

The wild-card round occurs from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 in a best-of-three format, with higher seeds hosting. The division series follows from Oct. 3 to Oct. 10 and adopts a 2-2-1 format. The League Championship Series spans Oct. 11-20 and the World Series from Oct. 23-31, both featuring a 2-3-2 format.