What’s at stake during the final weekend of MLB’s regular season? Final playoff spots, more up for grabs

The final weekend of the 2026 Major League Baseball regular season is upon us. While much has been sorted out when it comes to the upcoming playoffs, there are still a few unknowns as we head into each team's final three games.

As for what's been settled, 10 of the 12 postseason berths have been claimed going into Friday's slate of games:

On an individual front, Cubs center fielder and NL MVP frontrunner Pete Crow-Armstrong on Thursday achieved a 40-40 season, and potential AL MVP frontrunner, Yordan Alvarez of the Astros, remains (barely) alive in his bid to win the Triple Crown. Right now, he leads the AL in home runs and batting average, but he trails Baltimore's Pete Alonso by eight in the RBI race. In other words, Alvarez will need something of a weekend miracle to pull off the rare feat.

Now let's get back to the heart of the matter — the playoff vacancy in each league and the up-for-grabs bye in the AL. In all, four teams remain in playoff contention going into the weekend: the Astros and Rangers in the AL West race, and the Phillies and Diamondbacks in the race for the third and…

Original source: https://www.cbssports.com/