Chicago Cubs and White Sox in the Playoff Hunt

The Major League Baseball season is entering its final stretch. Both the Cubs and White Sox are contending for playoff spots.

Cubs

The Cubs will end the season in second place in the National League Central. The Milwaukee Brewers have claimed the division title for the fourth consecutive year.

Cubs first baseman Michael Busch shone with a solo home run on September 19, 2026, during a 5-2 victory against the Cincinnati Reds.

• Current record: 86-69 as of Saturday
• Magic number for wild-card spot: 2 (combination of Cubs wins and Arizona Diamondbacks losses)
• Games remaining: 7
• NL Wild Card: Tied with the San Diego Padres for No. 1 spot, one game ahead of Philadelphia Phillies
• The Cubs have a tiebreaker advantage over Padres, Phillies, and Diamondbacks
• Last playoff appearance: 2025 as the top wild card
• Postseason history: 22 appearances in 150 seasons with three championships (1907, 1908, 2016)

Pete Crow-Armstrong aims to join an elite group of players with 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in one season. He currently has 44 home runs and 37 stolen bases.

Players who achieved 40-40:

• José Canseco, Athletics, 1988: 42 home runs, 40 stolen bases
• Barry Bonds, Giants, 1996: 42-40
• Alex Rodriguez, Mariners, 1998: 42-46
• Alfonso Soriano, Nationals, 2006: 46-41
• Ronald Acuna Jr., Braves, 2023: 41-73
• Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers, 2024: 54-59

White Sox

The White Sox are battling the Cleveland Guardians for the American League Central title. The White Sox are motivated by a potential worst-to-first turnaround.

White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas contributed by scoring in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers on September 19, 2026.

• Current record: 79-76 as of Saturday
• Magic number for wild-card spot: 6 (combination of Sox wins and Houston Astros losses)
• Games remaining: 7
• AL Central standings: One game behind the first-place Guardians
• The Sox own the tiebreaker against the Guardians
• AL Wild Card: No. 3 spot, two games ahead of the Astros
• Last playoff appearance: 2021 as AL Central champions
• Postseason history: 11 appearances in 125 seasons with three championships (1906, 1917, 2005)

Playoff Format

The playoff format includes:

• Wild-card round: Sept. 29-Oct. 1, best of three games, all held at the higher seed’s venue
• Division series: Oct. 3-10, best of five format
• League Championship Series: Oct. 11-20, best of seven format
• World Series: Oct. 23-31, best of seven format