# MLB September 2026
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2026/1032786
**Category:** The Game Room
**Tags:** baseball-mlb
**Created:** [September 3, 2026, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2026/1032786 "2026-09-03T03:17:22Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 6
### Author:  [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2026, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2026/1032786/101 "2026-09-24T03:07:44Z")
> [@Telemark](#):
>
> BOS and CHC play the last three games of the season in Fenway.
They’ve made Friday a day/night doubleheader by moving the Sunday game to 1:05 PM on Friday. Perhaps they feel that they won’t need to play Saturday’s game.
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2026, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2026/1032786/102 "2026-09-24T03:17:17Z")
> [@Telemark](#):
>
> Perhaps they feel that they won’t need to play Saturday’s game.
Or, perhaps if Saturday gets rained out, and that game remains important for playoff implications, they can try to schedule it for Sunday.
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### Author:  [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2026, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2026/1032786/103 "2026-09-24T12:43:37Z")
There are four\* teams in the AL battling for three playoff spots. Last night they all lost.
Cleveland lost to Boston 1-0 and Chicago lost to KC 5-4. Guardians maintain a 1-game lead over the White Sox in the AL Central with four games to play.
Texas lost to the Mets 7-2 and Houston lost to Seattle 6-5 in 10 innings. Astros and Rangers remain tied for the AL West, with Houston holding the tiebreaker.
White Sox have a 3-game lead in the wild-card race over Houston/Texas.
\*Seattle is still barely alive in the West, although they can no longer win the wild-card. They are four games behind the division leaders with four to play.
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### Author:  [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2026, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2026/1032786/104 "2026-09-24T13:42:24Z")
> [@Telemark](#):
>
> The Blue Jays were eliminated today after losing a doubleheader to Baltimore.
I’ve never seen an unluckier Blue Jays squad in terms of injury. Genuinely astonishing how bad it was.
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2026, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2026/1032786/105 "2026-09-24T18:33:55Z")
An up-to-date summary of playoff scenarios on [MLB.com](http://MLB.com); lots of clinching scenarios could happen today.
> **[Bracket, tiebreakers and more: Here is the current playoff picture](https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-playoff-picture-and-bracket-2026)**
>
> Five teams had a chance to clinch their spots in the 2026 postseason on Wednesday. None of them did.
> The Guardians, White Sox, Cubs, Phillies and Padres all had an opportunity to secure their place in the playoff field if things broke right, but...
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2026, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2026/1032786/106 "2026-09-24T19:08:14Z")
The Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong just stole his 40th base of the season this afternoon, making him the 7th player in the 40-40 club (home runs and steals).
> **[Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong becomes 7th to reach 40-40 mark](https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/50022118/cubs-pete-crow-armstrong-becomes-7th-reach-40-40-mark)**
>
> Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong became the seventh player in MLB history to join the 40-40 club after stealing his 40th base of the season on Thursday.
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### Author:  [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2026, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2026/1032786/107 "2026-09-24T20:34:51Z")
Boy, the Cubs are making clinching a playoff spot nervewracking, aren’t they?
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### Author:  [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2026, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2026/1032786/108 "2026-09-24T21:34:49Z")
White Sox beat the Royals this afternoon to clinch at least a wild-card spot.
Two minutes later (if FB is to be believed), the Cubs beat the Marlins to clinch a wild-card spot.
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2026, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2026/1032786/109 "2026-09-24T21:42:31Z")
> [@Railer13](#):
>
> White Sox beat the Royals this afternoon to clinch at least a wild-card spot.
They’re such an unexpected turnaround story. The Sox are just two seasons removed from their 41-121 season (the most losses in a season in MLB history), and lost 100+ games in each of the last three seasons.
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### Author:  [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2026, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2026/1032786/110 "2026-09-25T03:24:36Z")
I didn’t think this would be possible, but the Red Sox and Cubbies might play their last games of the season in the Trop.
> **[Red Sox could play 'home' games at Tropicana Field this weekend](https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/red-sox-could-play-home-005234985.html)**
>
> It’s increasingly possible that the Red Sox finish their regular season schedule with at least one home game against the Cubs at Tropicana Field.
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2026, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2026/1032786/111 "2026-09-25T03:29:20Z")
Milwaukee beat Philadelphia 5-1 tonight, for the Brewers’ 100th win of the season. They now need only one more win, or a loss by the Dodgers, to lock up the #1 NL seed.
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2026, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2026/1032786/112 "2026-09-25T05:14:03Z")
The Padres clinched a wild card berth by beating the Dodgers tonight, 4-2. Los Angeles’s loss means that the Brewers have clinched the #1 seed in the National League, and home-field advantage through the postseason.
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### Author:  [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2026, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2026/1032786/113 "2026-09-25T12:12:56Z")
All 4 AL teams still chasing the playoffs won yesterday. Seattle has now been officially eliminated, both Cleveland and the White Sox are in the playoffs, and either Houston or Texas will miss the playoffs. Rookie Lucas Spence hit the first 3 homers of his career in the Astros win over the A’s. The losing pitcher in that game was Scott Blewett, which is not a great name for a relief pitcher.
Final 3 games:
Cleveland hosts Kansas City
White Sox host Colorado
Texas at Minnesota
Houston at Sacramento
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### Author:  [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2026, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2026/1032786/114 "2026-09-25T12:31:46Z")
Between the White Sox, Cubs, & Brewers, you personally have a lot to look forward to here in the post-season. As do our many other Chicagoan Dopers.
That’s the good news. The maybe less than good news is you’ll be glued to your TV morning and night for a month trying to keep up.
Or heck, maybe that’s good news too. 🤪
Aside:
In the relatively unlikely event the World Series comes down to Cubs & White Sox, what’s the cute name for that kind of series? Not the Subway Series as in NYC nor the Freeway Series as in SoCal. It’s the [???] Series.
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### Author:  [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2026, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2026/1032786/115 "2026-09-25T13:03:27Z")
Not a Chicagoan, but Chicago Transit Authority’s website says that both Comiskey and Wrigley are on the Red Line, so Red Line Series seems legit.
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2026, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2026/1032786/116 "2026-09-25T16:21:40Z")
> [@gnoitall](#):
>
> Not a Chicagoan, but Chicago Transit Authority’s website says that both Comiskey and Wrigley are on the Red Line, so Red Line Series seems legit.
Yup - both parks are located right on the CTA’s Red Line. There are stations right at each park, as well, and many fans take the Red Line to attend games, so that’d definitely be the moniker for such a series.
> [@LSLGuy](#):
>
> Between the White Sox, Cubs, & Brewers, you personally have a lot to look forward to here in the post-season. As do our many other Chicagoan Dopers.
Though I live in the Chicago area, I’ve been a Brewers fan since my family moved to Green Bay in 1975. The Brewers have not often made it to the postseason, and they have only one World Series appearance: 1982, when they were favored, but lost to the Cardinals in seven games.
They have an excellent team right now (and have for several years), but they do have a weakness (they do not hit for power very well), and they have Goliath (the Dodgers) to get past. I’m cautiously optimistic and excited this year.
(My wife is a White Sox fan, and I got to vicariously enjoy her seeing them win the World Series in 2005. I don’t care for the Cubs. 😉 )
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### Author:  [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2026, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2026/1032786/117 "2026-09-25T19:09:33Z")
The AL playoff bracket right now looks like this:
1. Tampa Bay (bye)
2. Cleveland (bye)
3. Houston - will host the White Sox
4. Yankees - will host the Red Sox
5. Red Sox - at New York
6. White Sox - at Houston
The best 3 records in the league belong to the Rays, Yanks, and Red Sox. White Sox (or Guardians) will have a better record than the Astros (or Rangers).
They should just seed on records, but they never will.
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2026, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2026/1032786/118 "2026-09-25T19:19:16Z")
> [@Railer13](#):
>
> They should just seed on records, but they never will.
Much like the NFL, MLB still places a premium – and awards an advantage – to winning your division. Increasingly, it seems to lead to situations like this.
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2026, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2026/1032786/119 "2026-09-25T19:22:17Z")
So hoping the Rangers pull through, because fuck Houston.
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### Author:  [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2026, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2026/1032786/120 "2026-09-25T19:44:24Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#):
>
> Much like the NFL, MLB still places a premium – and awards an advantage – to winning your division.
Exactly. And it always pisses me off when a 9-8 NFL division winner gets to host a playoff game against a 13-4 wild-card team.
> [@silenus](#):
>
> because fuck Houston.
I tend to agree, although I have little love for the Rangers, either.
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