Despite dropping the first contest of a two-game series to the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night, the Philadelphia Phillies did not lose any ground in the National League Wild Card race thanks to losses from the Chicago Cubs, Arizona Diamondbacks (thank you, Miami Marlins in extras!), and the San Diego Padres. With the remaining games on the 2026 schedule ready to slip into the single digits, there is still an opportunity for the Phillies to overtake Chicago and earn home games at Citizens Bank Park for the Wild Card round.
Here are the games (and teams) that Phillies fans need to keep an eye on over the final two weeks of the regular season.
Phillies NL Wild Card Rooting Guide: Cubs, Diamondbacks, and Padres scrapping for spots
There are four clubs vying for three N.L. Wild Card spots as the 2026 regular season campaign comes to a close. The Chicago Cubs own the top spot with an 84-68 record, the Phillies sit one game back at 83-68, and the San Diego Padres have the inside track on the final spot with an 82-69 mark. The Arizona Diamondbacks are lurking in the bushes with an 80-72 record, but the Snakes could very easily slither inside the top three to dash the postseason hopes of Phillies, Cubs, or Padres fans before the season wraps up on September 27.
Chicago Cubs (84-68, +1.5 Games)
Remaining Schedule: one game vs. Atlanta (9/16), three at Cincinnati (9/18-9/20), three vs. Miami (9/22-9/24), and three at Boston (9/25-9/27)
Chicago sits in the top position in the N.L., but the Cubs certainly haven’t run away with home-field advantage. They are 4-6 over their last 10 games, including a 6-4 loss to the Atlanta Braves last night. Chicago wraps up the series at Wrigley Field tonight before a short three-game road trip to play division rival Cincinnati in Ohio over the weekend.
The Cubs' final week of the season includes a team watching their playoff hopes slip away (Miami) and a squad looking to clinch a spot on the American League side of the playoff bracket (Boston). Even if they don’t catch a postseason position in 2026, the Marlins can still wreak havoc on the Cubs' postseason plans. Boston sits securely in the second spot in the A.L. Wild Card race with an 82-69 record, owning a five and a half game lead over the Cleveland Guardians (77-75) in the third and final Wild Card spot.
Chicago is looking to return to the postseason party for the second consecutive season. The Cubs were eliminated in five games by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2025 National League Division Series (NLDS).
Philadelphia Phillies (83-68, +1.0 GB)
Remaining Schedule: one game at Washington (9/16), four at New York Mets (9/17-9/20), three vs. Milwaukee (9/22-9/24), and three at Tampa Bay (9/25-9/27)
Philly suffered a tough loss to the non-postseason-bound Washington Nationals last night, which means the Phillies will need to respond tonight in the final game of the rare two-game set. While their postseason hopes aren’t on the line quite yet, Philadelphia also owns a 4-6 record over the last 10 games. That is not ideal for a veteran lineup looking to punch a ticket to Red October for the fifth straight season.
The New York Mets are waiting to make life more painful for Phillies fans with a four-game situation looming this weekend at Citi Field. Philadelphia took two games off the Mets in a three-game road series in late June 2026 after the Mets fired manager Carlos Mendoza. Philly owns a 5-4 record in nine matchups against New York this season.
The Phillies close out against two teams with postseason appearances already locked up: the N.L. Central champion Brewers (94-57) and the A.L. East-leading Tampa Bay Rays (91-59). Therefore, the Phillies should be able to take advantage of two teams preparing their roster for the upcoming playoff haul over the final week of the regular season.
San Diego Padres (82-69, 0 GB)
Remaining Schedule: two games at Colorado (9/16-9/17), three vs. Miami (9/18-9/20), three at Los Angeles Dodgers (9/22-9/24) and three vs. Arizona (9/25-9/27)
San Diego has been on fire with an 8-2 record over the last 10 games, which has allowed them to slip into the final N.L. Wild Card spot with 11 games remaining. For Phillies fans who can bear the late-night baseball action into the early morning hours, the Padres have a fun schedule to wrap up their season.
San Diego has two more contests at Coors Field in Colorado before heading home to the West Coast to finish up the 2026 campaign. The Padres host Miami (75-77) this weekend, where they can likely dispatch the Marlins from the Wild Card race. While not mathematically eliminated from postseason contention, Miami will basically need to win out to make up their seven and a half game deficit against San Diego.
While the L.A. Dodgers have their postseason wrapped up as N.L. West champs, fireworks are always in store when they clash with their rival from Southern California. The Padres-Dodgers matchup next weekend should be a must-watch series next week, even if all you can do is catch the highlights the following morning. Finally, San Diego closes out the season with a home series against Arizona, their biggest threat to their Wild Card candidacy.
Depending on how the Philadelphia Phillies finish their own schedule, this will be another can’t-miss series in the league’s final weekend with direct results on the baseball club from South Philly.
Arizona Diamondbacks (80-72, 2.5 GB)
Remaining Schedule: one games vs. Miami (9/16), three vs. New York Yankees (9/18-9/20), three at Colorado (9/22-9/24) and three at San Diego (9/25-9/27)
Arizona is 6-4 over its last 10 games, but that record is worse than it appears. The Diamondbacks have won two of their last six ballgames as they attempt to remain alive in the postseason picture. If Arizona falls off over the next series or two, there will be many breaths of relief coming from fans in Chicago, Philly, and/or San Diego as those clubs secure their postseason invitation.
The Diamondbacks complete their home slate with three games against the Yankees, who have recently extended their hold the top spot in the AL Wild Card race behind an 88-63 record. The Diamondbacks close out the regular season with six straight N.L. West matchups against Colorado and San Diego. Arizona will surely need successful results against the Yankees and Rockies if they hope to challenge the Padres for a playoff spot over the league’s final weekend.
There you have it. Four teams battling for three N.L. Wild Card spots heading into the final two weeks of the league’s regular season. A few must-watch series, such as San Diego-Los Angeles early next week, still remain on the schedule. But in reality, the entire situation hinges on whether or not Arizona can string together enough wins to make a true run at the playoffs. If they can’t, Chicago, Philadelphia, and San Diego can cruise to the finish line with the knowledge that they will experience at least one champagne shower heading into fall baseball.
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