MLB's Final Week: Wild-Card Drama, a 40-40 Bid and a Struggling AL West

The last week of the 2026 regular season features a tight NL wild-card scramble, Pete Crow-Armstrong's chase of the 40-40 club and Yordan Alvarez's run at a Triple Crown.

Pete Crow-Armstrong heads into the Chicago Cubs' season-ending series against Miami and Boston needing two stolen bases to become the seventh player with 40 homers and 40 steals in a season. The six who have done it are Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Alfonso Soriano, Ronald Acuna Jr. and Shohei Ohtani. Crow-Armstrong, who set the Cubs' franchise record for home runs by a left-handed batter last week, shares the major league lead with 45 home runs alongside Philadelphia's Kyle Schwarber and ranks fifth with 38 steals. He would be the third-youngest player to reach the milestone.

The NL wild-card picture remains unsettled, with the Cubs, Padres and Phillies separated by one game. San Diego has been the hottest team in the sport this month at 14-4 and has all but eliminated Arizona from contention, while Chicago sits at 9-9 in September and Philadelphia at 8-10. The Padres finish with the Dodgers and Diamondbacks, and the Phillies draw arguably the toughest closing schedule with series against the Brewers and Rays.

In the AL Central, Cleveland moved a game ahead of the White Sox after winning two of three in Cleveland last week. Chicago led the division by 5 1/2 games on Aug. 16 but has slipped from the No. 2 seed to No. 6 and could miss the playoffs entirely. The White Sox close against the Royals and Rockies, while the Guardians face the Red Sox and Royals.

The AL West could produce the worst division champion in MLB history. Texas enters the week one game up on Houston, and no club has ever qualified for the postseason at .500 or worse — a mark the 2005 Padres (82-80) currently hold as the weakest division winner. The Rangers play the Mets and Twins; the Astros face the Mariners and Athletics.

Elsewhere, Shohei Ohtani is expected back in the Dodgers' lineup after an injured-list stint backdated to Sept. 8 covering injuries to his left knee, neck and right biceps. Milwaukee, already at a franchise-record 98 wins, holds a two-game edge over Los Angeles for the NL's top seed. Houston's Yordan Alvarez continues a Triple Crown pursuit with a .313 average, 40 home runs, 99 RBI and a majors-best 1.027 OPS.