As the final month of the MLB regular season begins, some teams are already thinking about October while others gear up for the pennant races ahead. The Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs all have National League playoff spots seemingly locked up. Likewise, the Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are well on their way to October appearances in the American League.

Beyond those top teams, there are many storylines to watch down the stretch: Where do current playoff matchups stand? What games should you be watching each day leading up to October? Who will clinch the first postseason berth? And what does the playoff schedule look like? Here's everything you need to know as the regular season hits the homestretch.

Who can clinch a playoff spot next? The Brewers and Rays can clinch a postseason spot as early as Sept. 6. The Dodgers, Braves, Cubs and Yankees also all have at least a 99% chance of making the playoffs entering the final month of the season.

The 2026 MLB postseason schedule runs from the wild-card round (best of three, starting Sept. 29) through the World Series (best of seven, starting Oct. 23).