The last week of the 2026 regular season has brought a crowded scoreboard to the clubhouse: two American League division races remain unresolved, a Wild Card berth is still within reach, and several individual chases could change the record book before the schedule closes.
Key takeaways
- Texas owns a one-game edge on Houston in the AL West, but the Astros hold the season-series tiebreaker.
- Cleveland is ahead of the White Sox by one game in the AL Central; Chicago would take the division in a tie.
- The White Sox lead Houston and Toronto by three games for the final AL Wild Card position.
- Yordan Alvarez enters the final week at .313 with 40 homers and 99 RBIs, still alive in the Triple Crown race.
- Jacob Misiorowski carries a 1.86 ERA and 247 strikeouts into what could be one final regular-season start.
- Justin Verlander is set for a Saturday return at Comerica Park, likely the last start of his career.
American League races run through Texas, Cleveland and Chicago
The Rays have essentially secured the AL East, leaving the West and Central as the divisions still demanding nightly scoreboard watching. Texas begins the final stretch one game ahead of Houston, but the Rangers cannot afford to finish level with their in-state rival. Houston owns the tiebreaker and would be awarded the division if the clubs land on identical records.
The Central has the same one-game margin, with Cleveland holding the lead over Chicago. The advantage flips in the tiebreaker column, though: a deadlock would send the White Sox to the top of the division.
Those races also shape the final Wild Card picture. One of the four clubs involved in the West and Central fights is well positioned to wind up with the last AL playoff berth. Chicago has created some breathing room, sitting three games clear of both Houston and Toronto. The Blue Jays remain close enough to matter, but they need help along with a strong finish.
Alvarez still has a narrow path to the American League Triple Crown, although it will require a big closing surge. The Houston slugger leads Chandler Simpson by four points in batting average, .313 to .309, but trails Junior Caminero 41-40 in home runs and sits behind Pete Alonso 105-99 in RBIs. Alvarez spent much of the year atop all three categories; now he must make up ground in two of them.
Simpson has a different kind of batting-title storyline. Tampa Bay’s outfielder has paired his high average with stolen bases and dependable outfield work, all without a homer. Rod Carew, in 1972, was the most recent batting champion to finish a season without going deep. Even if Simpson falls short of the crown, a .300 finish without a home run would make him the first qualified hitter to do it since Luis Castillo in 1999.
Stat chases, a Brewers ace and one more Verlander night
Misiorowski has already put together a season that would stand out in any era. After his Sunday appearance against Baltimore, the Brewers right-hander owns a 1.86 ERA with 247 strikeouts. He is expected to receive another turn next weekend, potentially a short outing similar to Sunday’s three-inning assignment.
Cam Schlittler is at 1.94, making the ERA title a tight final-week assignment. If Misiorowski stays in front, he would become only the second Brewer to lead the league in ERA, joining Corbin Burnes, who posted a 2.43 mark in 2021. Keeping his ERA below 2.00 while reaching 250 strikeouts would place Misiorowski among only 15 qualifying seasons by 13 pitchers since earned runs became official in 1913. Jacob deGrom was the most recent pitcher to reach both marks, in 2018.
The home-run lead is shared by Kyle Schwarber and Pete Crow-Armstrong, each sitting on 45. Schwarber led the National League with 56 last season, but he has never finished as the overall major-league leader. If he gets there, he would become the first Phillie to lead the majors in homers since Ryan Howard hit 48 during Philadelphia’s 2008 championship season.
Crow-Armstrong has made a full-scale MVP case while matching Schwarber’s power. The Cubs center fielder has 45 home runs, 38 steals, a .949 OPS and 10.5 WAR, the best mark in baseball by FanGraphs’ measure. His defense in center has remained a major part of that all-around value. Two more stolen bases would give him a 40-homer, 40-steal campaign, a feat no Cubs player has reached and only six players in major-league history have accomplished.
A Crow-Armstrong homer title would also carry franchise weight. He would be the first Cub to lead the National League since Sammy Sosa hit 49 in 2002, and the first Chicago player to top all of MLB since Sosa’s 50-homer season in 2000. His 10-WAR season has put him in unusual company, and he appears positioned to become the first unanimous MVP in Cubs history.
In the RBI race, St. Louis outfielder Alec Burleson starts the week with a major-league-best 111, just one ahead of Cincinnati’s Sal Stewart. Burleson is trying to become the first Cardinal to lead the National League in RBIs since Albert Pujols in 2010. The last St. Louis player to lead all of baseball was Joe Torre, who drove in 137 in 1971.
Then there is the Saturday afternoon waiting in Detroit. Verlander returned to the Tigers for what is expected to be his final season, but he made only one start in April and has not pitched since. He is lined up to take the Comerica Park mound against the backdrop of retirement, giving Detroit a chance to salute a likely future Hall of Famer. His career strikeout total stands at 3,554, and whatever comes next will add only a few final lines to a career already secure in the game’s long memory.
