Records through Sunday, August 30, 2026. Updated daily.
The National League wild card race just produced its first real movement in weeks. Arizona passed San Diego on Sunday to take the third and final spot, ending a stretch where the two clubs were separated by four ten-thousandths of a percentage point.
Above them, Chicago and Philadelphia are dead level at 77-60.
| Pos | Team | W-L | PCT | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WC1 | Chicago Cubs | 77-60 | .562 | — |
| WC2 | Philadelphia Phillies | 77-60 | .562 | — |
| WC3 | Arizona Diamondbacks | 73-65 | .529 | — |
| 4th | San Diego Padres | 72-65 | .526 | 0.5 |
| 5th | Miami Marlins | 69-68 | .504 | 3.5 |
| 6th | St. Louis Cardinals | 68-70 | .493 | 5.0 |
| 7th | Pittsburgh Pirates | 67-71 | .486 | 6.0 |
| 8th | Cincinnati Reds | 65-72 | .474 | 7.5 |
| 9th | Washington Nationals | 65-74 | .468 | 8.5 |
| 10th | New York Mets | 61-76 | .445 | 11.5 |
Division leaders Milwaukee (85-52), Atlanta (82-55) and Los Angeles (82-55) are excluded — they qualify automatically if they hold their leads. Games back is measured from the third wild card.
Arizona vs. San Diego Is the Only Live Fight
These two have been inseparable. For weeks San Diego held the spot on winning percentage while Arizona owned more wins, a gap so small it rounded to nothing. Sunday finally broke it: the Diamondbacks at 73-65, the Padres at 72-65, half a game apart.
The complicating factor is games remaining. Arizona has 24 left, San Diego 25 — so the Padres hold one extra opportunity to close a half-game gap. They are also both in the NL West behind the Dodgers, which means their head-to-head meetings swing two things at once.
Miami at 3.5 back is the only other club with a plausible claim, and the Marlins would need to pass both.
The Cubs and Phillies Are Playing for Home Field
Chicago and Philadelphia are tied at 77-60 and four and a half games clear of the cut line. Neither is realistically catching their division leader — the Cubs are eight behind Milwaukee, the Phillies five behind Atlanta — so both are almost certainly playing a wild card series.
What they are competing for is which one hosts. The higher wild card seed gets all three games of the best-of-three at home, an advantage worth more in a short series than in any other round.
The Bye Race Above Them
The more consequential National League race is at the top. Milwaukee at 85-52, Atlanta at 82-55 and Los Angeles at 82-55 are separated by three games for two first-round byes. One of those three will play a wild card series despite having one of the league’s three best records.
For the American League picture see our AL wild card standings, both leagues on the MLB wild card page, and division detail on our MLB standings page.
The Bottom Line
The Cubs and Phillies are tied at 77-60 for the top two National League wild cards. Arizona holds the third at 73-65 after passing San Diego on Sunday, leading the Padres by half a game with one fewer game in hand. Miami is 3.5 back and is the last club with a realistic route.