MLB playoff picture, bracket and predictions after 100 games

With over two months left until the MLB postseason, plenty of teams remain in the hunt for October. Only the National League West appears decided, though the Milwaukee Brewers are quickly pulling away in the NL Central. And who’d have guessed the American League Central could come down to the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians, of all teams?

Roughly 100 games into the 2026 season, let’s take a look at how we think the playoff bracket will turn out. I’ve also addressed potential trade possibilities and strategies for each team ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline.

National League postseason bracket

Some quick thoughts on each team.

1. Milwaukee Brewers (NL Central champions)

Is this the year the Brewers finally break through and reach the World Series? I’ve become hesitant to use the term “they’re due”, because that’s simply not how sports work. Go ask Red Sox, Cubs, and Pirates fans about the idea of being “due” for something special. 

For the good of Major League Baseball, I'd better not see Milwaukee pull any Stephen Strasburg-type shenanigans with Jacob Misiorowski and shut him down early. If Pat Murphy and management are fine with Misiorowski putting that much strain on his arm and elbow, then they’ll pay the consequences if he gets hurt. There’s no turning back.

Besides, any potential consequences of Misiorowski’s penchant for 104-mph fastballs shouldn’t overly bother the Brewers or their fans if it results in a World Series title. Sounds harsh, but that’s life. 

2. Los Angeles Dodgers (NL West champions)

The race for the NL’s top seed will be far closer than people think, even more so if the Dodgers fail to significantly upgrade their rotation ahead of the trade deadline. A playoff rotation with a healthy Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani is about as likely as Rob Manfred and Bryce Harper taking selfies and showing off their “best friends forever” rings. 

And to be clear, I’m not saying that rotation help will guarantee the Dodgers the NL’s No. 1 seed. But it could go a long way in helping the two-time defending champions lock up home-field advantage. 

3. Atlanta Braves (NL East champions)

I love a good old-fashioned division race between two legitimate rivals — or at least as much of a rivalry as you can have in the modern era. (It's not like Yankees-Red Sox has meant much emotionally over the last decade.)

Anyway, the Braves need to upgrade their rotation, and I’d like to see them add another outfielder. The good news is that Ronald Acuña Jr. could return from his hamstring strain within the next week. I’m not sure I trust the 2023 NL MVP to play at an elite level down the stretch, though, especially not with his injury history. 

I’ll narrowly give the Braves the NL East crown, but let’s have a talk about those Phillies. 

4. Philadelphia Phillies

Don Mattingly has to be NL Manager of the Year, right? The Marlins’ Clayton McCullough certainly has a case, and I expect the Pirates’ Don Kelly to also earn some votes. But Mattingly has completely turned the Phillies around to the point that another NL East title isn’t impossible. 

So much for my recent prediction that Kyle Schwarber will hit 65 home runs, though. He’s managed just three homers across 12 games in July, putting him at 33 entering Tuesday. 

I’m interested to see if the Phillies can add another starter within the next two weeks. The Royals’ Michael Wacha certainly makes sense, and I’d call the Twins about Bailey Ober; we saw those two teams make a trade last summer, with Minnesota sending All-Star closer Jhoan Duran to Philadelphia. 

5. Chicago Cubs

The Cubs are arguably the most boring of these six teams, and that’s not an insult. Slow and steady wins the race, right? The North Siders’ likely only path to the postseason is through the Wild Card, as the Brewers are up seven games in the NL Central. 

Add Chicago to the list of teams needing another starting pitcher. Shota Imanaga is the only healthy Cubs pitcher to surpass 1 bWAR, and we’re nearly in August. In no world is that acceptable, and it could eventually ruin their title chances. 

For now, I’m giving the Cubs the No. 5 seed. Ask me again in two weeks how I’m feeling about Craig Counsell’s club. 

6. Miami Marlins

Kudos to the Marlins, who have been one of baseball’s most consistent teams since last year’s All-Star Break. Xavier Edwards has become a franchise cornerstone at second base, and Otto Lopez has grown into their best shortstop since Hanley Ramirez. 

Miami needs bullpen help, and I’d suggest they also target an outfielder. Now is the time to be aggressive, especially given that the Marlins share a division with the Braves and Phillies.

American League postseason bracket

Some quick thoughts on each team.

1. New York Yankees (AL East champions)

Jazz Chisholm Jr. must have remembered that he’s in a contract year, because he’s finally regained his power stroke. That doesn’t change the fact that the Yankees are, well, the Yankees. In other words, Aaron Boone’s loyalty to the likes of Anthony Volpe and Camilo Doval will come back to bite him ...

… unless the Yankees stunningly cut bait with either of them before the trade deadline. As long as the return isn’t Fernando Tatis Jr. or Francisco Lindor, I have the sense that Yankees fans will be thrilled. 

2. Chicago White Sox (AL Central champions)

Whatever the White Sox do at the trade deadline must involve starting pitching. I don’t care whether it’s the Giants’ Robbie Ray or the Mets’ Freddy Peralta. Will Venable’s club cannot forego adding an arm before the deadline clock strikes zero on Aug. 3. 

Otherwise, though, the White Sox are one of baseball’s best stories. The fact that they’re rapidly approaching the end of their rebuild while relying primarily on homegrown talent is worthy of kudos. Ironically, they’re currently the only American League team on this list currently leading its division. Which leads us to …

3. Texas Rangers (AL West champions)

I’m all-in on the Rangers, at least as it pertains to the AL West. Obviously, the Angels are a lost cause, and the Athletics are fading fast. The Mariners currently have a narrow half-game lead over Texas, and the Astros are only 3.5 back. However, the Rangers are the only one of these three that I trust despite being another team needing pitching help. What is it with contenders and their pitching?

Ezequiel Durán has been fantastic, playing every position but pitcher, catcher and DH. But I’ve been especially impressed with left fielder Wyatt Langford, who's provided the Rangers with 2.3 bWAR and an .829 OPS in 48 games. Don’t be surprised to see him make his first All-Star Game next year.  

4. Cleveland Guardians

I’ll never bet against the Guardians. For nearly 15 years, Cleveland has repeatedly found ways to sneak into the postseason despite low payrolls and the occasional rash of injuries. Stephen Vogt has fit in perfectly as the Guardians’ manager, and they’re right in the thick of things despite José Ramírez’s hamate fracture. The good news: He’s on pace to return before the trade deadline. 

Cleveland still needs another bat, though, and upgrading first base should be a priority. Could the Guardians convince the Astros to trade veteran first baseman Christian Walker? The only downside is he’s owed $20 million next year, and Cleveland’s Opening Day payroll this season was just under $72 million. 

5. Boston Red Sox

Winning 14 consecutive games goes a long way in changing a team’s season. Enough has been said about Boston’s unexpected turnaround, which has turned them from likely sellers into a dark-horse candidate to win the American League.

Middle infield depth should be a priority at the deadline, and it wouldn’t hurt to add another reliever. The Mets’ Luke Weaver is intimately familiar with the AL East, having pitched for the Yankees, and he has playoff experience. 

6. Tampa Bay Rays

As it stands, the Rays have the American League’s best record. So why do I have them falling all the way to the No. 6 seed? Mostly, I don’t trust an organization known for relying too heavily on luck and refusing to spend money. But at least they have Junior Caminero and Yandy Díaz leading the way on offense, and first baseman Jonathan Aranda is on pace for 100 RBI.

The Rays need bullpen help, though their penny-pinching has me skeptical they’ll do anything noteworthy. Prove me wrong, Tampa Bay. 

Today's best reads

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This article was originally published on fansided.com as MLB playoff picture, bracket and predictions after 100 games.