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The National League wild-card race is no longer just about getting in. The order in which teams finish could decide where they play next week.
Entering Thursday, San Diego held the top wild card by one game. Chicago and Philadelphia were tied behind the Padres, with the Cubs holding the second spot on a tiebreaker. Arizona remained three games behind Chicago and Philadelphia for the final berth.
Each contender has a different reason to care about every remaining result.
San Diego has the lead; Chicago has the ties
The Padres moved one game ahead of the Cubs and Phillies after beating the Dodgers on Wednesday. That gives San Diego the simplest route to the top wild card: keep winning and make the teams behind it chase.
The Padres currently hold the top NL Wild Card spot after their 5-1 win over the Dodgers! pic.twitter.com/GZL2XigNPo
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) September 24, 2026Chicago has another form of protection. The Cubs hold head-to-head tiebreakers over both San Diego and Philadelphia, according to MLB’s postseason tracker. If Chicago draws level with either club, a tie in the standings would not necessarily be a setback.
Philadelphia holds the tiebreaker over San Diego but not Chicago. That makes the Phillies’ path more dependent on which opponent they catch. It also explains why a single result elsewhere can shift the apparent order without changing Philadelphia’s record.
There is no Game 163 to settle these ties. MLB determines them through its tiebreaking rules.
MORE: Cubs’ playoff countdown gets complicated by Kevin Gausman injury and Boston weather
The remaining schedule brings its own complications
Chicago hosts Miami on Thursday, then heads to Fenway Park for a split doubleheader Friday. The Cubs and Red Sox moved Sunday’s game to Friday because of the forecast for a major nor’easter in Boston. Saturday’s game remains on the schedule, subject to weather.
San Diego finishes a series at Dodger Stadium on Thursday. Philadelphia hosts Milwaukee. Their Thursday results will establish the position from which all three enter the final weekend.
The top wild card hosts a best-of-three series beginning Sept. 29. The lower wild-card seeds face different road trips. For teams already planning their postseason pitching, that difference matters.
The Padres possess the one-game lead. The Cubs have useful tiebreakers. The Phillies have a chance to gain ground immediately. None has the luxury of treating the final days as a formality.
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