MLB Pennant Race 2026: Something New Has Been Added

Well, folks, here we are in the month of September, which means time is really running out. Three weeks, 21 measly days are left in the regular season. Plenty of time for some, not enough for others, and out of time for so many. One team in particular: the Colorado Rockies. On September 7, the Rockies (again) became the first team to be eliminated from postseason contention, and we should see the now-Stan Kroenke owned Los Angeles Angels ousted in a matter of days.

As for the teams who actually have a pulse:

American League Beasts, I Mean East

Nothing much has changed in the American League East. The Tampa Bay Rays, The New York Yankees, and the Boston Red Sox serve as the AL's top three teams. Tampa Bay leads by four games, the Yankees are holding WC1, and the Red Sox are in the WC2 position. Again: one of these three teams will start on the road this postseason. But it's not just those three I want to discuss. The Rays, Yanks, and Sox will be postseason-bound, that's inevitable. The same could be said for either the Toronto Blue Jays or the Baltimore Orioles. The Jays and O's have strong pulses in the race. Despite many problems, Toronto (the defending pennant winners) stands just a game out of a postseason position. Baltimore? Four games out after losing six straight, but they were closer than that.

The AL East could see four teams in the playoffs this year. If Baltimore gets that last spot, that means Pete Alonso could be in the playoffs while the Mets miss out for the second straight year with Juan Soto. Oh man!

West Teams Going South

You know, when Tommy Oliver lost his powers, it was because of that candle. When Kimberly Hart faced losing her powers, it was due to the evil Katherine Hillard stealing her coin. What the hell is the Texas Rangers' excuse?! When I started this recap two weeks ago, Texas was above the playoff line. Since then? 6-7 record, two games out in the American League West, two games out in the Wild Card race. But it could be worse. They could be the Mariners. Seattle continues further and further back in the race; lost seven of 10, six games behind the line, no end in sight. And guess what? These two freefalling teams will face each other next! Time is seriously running out for these two teams.

So You're Telling Me There's a Chance

Remember when I said a few weeks ago that the National League postseason race was a bit boring this year? It looks like we have some new players to this game. As of this point, the Chicago Cubs, the Philadelphia Phillies, and the Arizona Diamondbacks currently hold the three Wild Card spots in the National League. The San Diego Padres stand a half game behind Arizona for the last spot, but we have a pair of new contenders in this thing.

For weeks, the Miami Marlins have been alive in this race, but now, the St Louis Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates both have good chances to possibly get into the postseason. The Marlins and Cardinals are now both four games behind the postseason line, while the Pirates are only five games out. Weeks ago, St Louis and Pittsburgh having an actual pulse in this thing would have been ludicrous. Now? These two teams might have a slight chance to steal this thing.

The postseason race is down to the wire! The final three weeks will definitely tell the tale, and we should see the first clinches this upcoming week. I want to end this week recap with this. This past Saturday, the San Francisco Giants and the New York Mets--two teams with no chance in hell of getting in--played the middle game of their set. On that day, September 5, the Giants won by a certain score that, well, has a lot more meaning lately, especially since it happened on September 5:

Winning Nine to Five

Winning nine to five

Two Giants homered twice

This team scratched and clawed

And the result was so nice

It's been very rough

A true up and down year

But despite it all

They really did persevere

That's for Dolly Parton. Every time I see a 9-5 score, the hit song enters my mind, and I always think up some rendition of that classic. Thank you, Dolly, for so much.