2026 MLB playoff picture: Final standings, complete bracket as regular season wraps up — SkimNews
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- The Astros clinched the AL West on Game 162 after a Rangers loss, becoming the first team with a non-winning record to win a division in a 162-game MLB season.
- The Phillies grabbed a wild-card berth with a Game 162 comeback after stumbling through the final week of the season.
- The White Sox claimed the No. 6 AL seed, which the source calls one of the biggest surprises of the 2026 season.
- The Rays (AL) and Brewers (NL) earned the No. 1 seeds and first-round byes; the Guardians (AL Central), Dodgers, and Braves also won divisions.
- The Padres, Cubs, Yankees, and Red Sox rounded out the wild-card field alongside the Phillies.
- The Dodgers opened as World Series favorites at +225 odds via Caesars, followed by the Brewers (+450) and Rays (+700).
Why it matters: The bracket sets the stage for the 2026 postseason with the Dodgers as the clear betting favorites at +225, while the Astros' sub-.500 division title is a historic anomaly that changes how future teams in similar territory might approach the stretch run. Six division winners and a full 12-team field means every series carries weight from the Wild Card round onward.
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