NL wild-card standings, explained: Updated Phillies, Diamondbacks playoff chances and tiebreakers for 2026 MLB bracket
Here's a look at the updated NL wild-card playoff picture.
The NL wild-card standings are a heated competition, with teams vying for the final playoff spot. Currently, the Phillies and Diamondbacks are the only teams still in contention for the sixth and final wild-card position. The Phillies lead with an 87-72 record, two games ahead of the Diamondbacks, who are at 85-74.
Tiebreakers determine the final spot, but with the Phillies and Diamondbacks splitting their season series, it comes down to intradivisional record. Arizona holds that tiebreaker. The Phillies need only two more wins, two Diamondbacks losses, or a combined win to secure their playoff spot. To make the playoffs, they must surpass the Diamondbacks in overall record.
The Diamondbacks have a magic number of 5, meaning they need either three wins against the Padres or a combination of wins and losses between the Phillies and Padres to secure their spot. If the Phillies and Padres together win two games, the Diamondbacks will be eliminated, but since Arizona leads in tiebreakers, they merely need to match the Phillies' record.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
