We have not one, but two (!!) playoff spots coming down to Game 162. One race that did get decided on Saturday was the AL Central. The Guardians won and the White Sox lost, clinching the division for Cleveland.

1. Phillies face win and in scenario

The NL Wild Card race seemed all but over heading into the final week of the season. The Padres, Cubs, and Phillies were sprinting to the finish line, with seeding being the only question. That’s no longer the case. Philadelphia has lost four straight, including a blowout defeat at home against the Rays last night. Arizona was riding a six-game winning streak heading into Saturday, but fell to San Diego. If the Phillies beat the Rays today, they can avoid a massive collapse and punch their ticket to the playoffs. If Philly loses and the D-Backs win, Arizona is in.

2. AL West will be decided on Sunday

The Rangers and Astros remain deadlocked atop the AL West after wins on Saturday. Houston holds the tiebreaker. The two clubs are 80-81. The division winner will have the worst record for a playoff team in MLB history (h/t Jeff Passan of ESPN). The Astros are bringing back Peter Lambert to start on short rest. He was knocked around for four earned runs over 2 2/3 innings on Thursday. Lambert will get another crack at the A’s lineup, at least for a couple of innings. The Rangers will turn to MacKenzie Gore against the Twins.

3. Goodman launches 40th HR

The Rockies played spoiler yesterday, beating the White Sox to seal the AL Central for the Guardians. Catcher Hunter Goodman led the way with a pair of home runs. His first blast was No. 40 of the season. Goodman is the first Rockie since Nolan Arenado in 2019 to reach 40 homers. He’s delivered a strong follow-up campaign to his breakout 2025 season. Goodman plays in the most favorable hitting environment in the sport, but he’s actually been better on the road this year. He’s hit 25 of his 41 home runs away from Coors Field. Goodman’s OPS is nearly 100 points higher on the road.

Photo courtesy of Bill Streicher, Imagn Images