MLB playoff tracker: Phillies wild-card and NL East standings; updated magic number
The Phillies must catch the Braves if they want to capture their third straight division title.
The Phillies are alive and well in the hunt for the MLB playoffs — in the division and wild-card races — and looking to capture their third consecutive National League East title. Each of the last two postseasons ended in the National League Division Series, as the Phillies struggled recapture the Red October wave that carried them to the World Series in 2022 and the NL Championship Series in 2023, when they made the playoffs as a wild card.
Here’s a look at where the 2026 Phillies stand in the division and wild-card standings, as well as their current magic number to clinch a playoff berth and their remaining schedule:
National League East standings
Standings updated at least once/hour.
National League wild-card standings
The Phillies’ magic number
The Phillies’ magic number to clinch a postseason berth is:
That is the combined total of Phillies’ wins and/or losses by the teams on the outside looking in that are needed to secure at least the third wild-card and a spot in the playoffs.
To win the division, the Phillies’ two remaining series against Atlanta will go a long way toward deciding the outcome. Currently, the Phillies’ “tragic” number — or number to be eliminated from NL East contention — is:
That is the combination of Phillies’ losses and Braves’ wins that would clinch the division for Atlanta. But with seven games against one another left to play, that number could change quickly — and may even flip to a magic number if the Phillies catch the Braves.
For more information on the current MLB standings and projected postseason matchups, check out MLB.com’s updated playoff picture.
Phillies’ remaining schedule
Heading into this weekend’s series vs. Atlanta, the Phillies have 22 games remaining and nearly a third of those games (seven) are against the Braves, the team the Phillies are trying to chase down in the NL East.
Here’s a look at the Phillies’ schedule for the rest of the season, with their home series in bold:
Four games vs. Braves (Sept. 4-7)
Three games vs. Astros (Sept. 8-10)
Three games at Braves (Sept. 11-13)
Two games at Nationals (Sept. 15-16)
Four games at Mets (Sept. 17-20)
Three games vs. Brewers (Sept. 22-24)
Three games vs. Rays (Sept. 25-27)
MLB playoff schedule
The MLB playoffs begin Sept. 29. If the Phillies win the division — and get one of the NL’s top two seeds — they won’t start the postseason until Oct. 3, when the NL and AL division series begin.
If they can’t catch the Braves and are forced to settle for the wild card — or if they do catch them, but finish as the third-place division winner — they’ll begin play on Sept. 29 in a best-of-three wild-card series. The third division winner and top wild-card team host all three games of the wild-card round.
With one month left in the season, the Phillies are jockeying for playoff positioning in the National League. And things are about to heat up with a critical three-game series in Arizona. Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen joins Phillies Extra to discuss the wild-card race, the drama involving star second baseman Ketel Marte, and the 2023 NLCS, which left scars in Philadelphia that still haven't healed. Watch here.
You can also subscribe to the podcast version of Phillies Extra on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Previous episodes: Tony Gwynn Jr. | Kevin Stocker | Bobby Dickerson | Jim Bowden | John Middleton | Ryan Howard | Dan Baker | Ricky Bottalico | Preston Mattingly | Caleb Cotham
