National League playoff seeding update ahead of Brewers and Cubs' four-game series in Chicago

From the moment the 2026 schedule was released, most Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs fans had the next two weeks circled on their calendars. The Brewers and Cubs, who have finished in first and second place, respectively, in the NL Central in each of the last three seasons, looked destined to compete for a division crown once again in 2026, and with seven matchups in 10 days as the final month of the regular season begins, fans knew this upcoming stretch would be pivotal.

Now, with five months of the 2026 regular season in the rearview mirror, the key stretch has arrived, and unsurprisingly the Brewers and Cubs occupy the top two spots in the NL Central standings. Much like last year, when the two teams faced off for a five-game series at Wrigley Field in mid-August, the Brewers and Cubs' upcoming stretch, which includes a four-game series in Chicago starting tonight and a three-gamer at American Family Field next week, could have a major impact on the division race.

That said, it will take a lopsided series victory one way or the other to really skew the standings. Pair that with the fact that the Brewers have built an 8.0-game cushion in the NL Central ahead of their key stretch against Craig Counsell and the Cubs, and this upcoming clash of division rivals could actually have a larger impact on the rest of the National League playoff picture than the NL Central race. Let's take a closer look at the NL playoff picture as a whole and how it could be impacted by the Brewers and Cubs' seven matchups in the next 10 days.

Brewers and Cubs' upcoming stretch could have major impact on NL playoff picture as a whole

As previously mentioned, the Brewers hold an 8.0-game lead in the NL Central with 25 games left to play. Seven of those 25 remaining contests will be played against the Cubs, meaning in the worst-case scenario, Chicago could cut the Brewers' division lead down to one game if they sweep both series against their division rivals. More likely, the two closely matched opponents will trade wins, and Milwaukee's division lead won't grow or shrink too considerably.

However, elsewhere in the National League, closer races could be significantly impacted by the Brewers and Cubs' upcoming showdowns. For example, entering play on August 31, the Cubs and Phillies hold identical records and are tied for the top Wild Card spot in the National League. Assuming the Phillies don't catch up to the Braves in the NL East and the Cubs don't chase down the Brewers, the two teams are likely to face off in the NL Wild Card series this year. In such a likely scenario, whichever team finishes atop the Wild Card standings will hold home-field advantage throughout the Wild Card round, which would undoubtedly play a role in the outcome of the series.

NL Playoff Picture (entering play on August 31)

1. Milwaukee Brewers (85-52)
2. Los Angeles Dodgers (82-55)
3. Atlanta Braves (82-55)

Wild Card

1. Chicago Cubs (77-60)
2. Philadelphia Phillies (77-60)
3. Arizona Diamondbacks (73-65)
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4. San Diego Padres (72-65)
5. Miami Marlins (69-68)

By virtue of winning the season series, the Cubs do hold the tiebreaker over the Phillies, but the Brewers could still certainly hurt their division rivals' chances of hosting a series in the Wild Card round with a strong performance during this upcoming stretch of games.

Then there's the race for a first-round bye, in which the Brewers currently have a 3.0-game lead over the Dodgers and Braves, who each sport 82-55 records entering play on August 31. The Dodgers have the second-easiest schedule in MLB during the month of September, so the Brewers can't let off the gas in their pursuit of the top seed in the NL. The Braves, meanwhile, have the fifth-most difficult remaining schedule, but have won seven straight games since losing to the Brewers last Saturday.

Therefore, while the Brewers and Cubs' seven games in the next 10 days certainly could change the shape of the NL Central race, it's far more likely that the impact of this upcoming stretch is felt in tighter races like the Cubs' pursuit of the top Wild Card spot and the Brewers' quest for the top seed in the NL. Regardless, these next seven games against the Cubs are bound to carry a playoff-like atmosphere, which will serve as an excellent test for the Brewers' young 2026 squad.

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