Home International AL Central standings: Guardians, White Sox locked in tight division race

AL Central standings: Guardians, White Sox locked in tight division race

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September 22, 2026

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The American League Central division race might be baseball’s most fascinating final-week showdown.

The Cleveland Guardians head into the final week of the season leading the division by a mere one game. The Chicago White Sox, however, own the season tiebreaker, which means Cleveland must finish at least one game better than Chicago in order to claim its third consecutive crown.

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With six games remaining for each club, every result could swing the race. Here’s a look at the latest AL Central standings, remaining schedules and playoff tiebreaker scenarios heading into the final week of the regular season.

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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season

The Athletics Lawrence Butler is tagged out by Chicago White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas as he tires to extend his double into a triple during the eighth inning at Sutter Health Park on April 18, 2026.

(Scott Marshall, Imagn Images)

Cleveland Guardians mascot Slider interacts with fans during game against the Baltimore Orioles at Progressive Field on April 17, 2026.

(David Richard, Imagn Images)

Washington Nationals right fielder Daylen Lile attempts to catch a ball hit for a single by the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Jake Mangum during the first inning at PNC Park on April 16, 2026. The Nationals won the game, 8-7.

(Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images)

Milwaukee Brewers catcher Gary Sanchez wears a special chest protector to commemorate Jackie Robinson Day during the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at American Family Field on April 15, 2026.

(Benny Sieu, Imagn Images)

April 13: The Pittsburgh Pirates’ Spencer Horwitz celebrates a home run in the dugout while wearing a welder’s hood during the 16-5 win over the Washington Nationals at PNC Park.

(Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images)

April 12: Philadelphia Phillies mascot, The Phanatic, entertains fans with local team mascots for a birthday celebration before the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citizens Bank Park.

(Kyle Ross, Imagn Images)

April 11: The Tampa Bay Rays’ Jonathan Aranda (left) celebrates with Ryan Vilade after hitting a walk-off single against the New York Yankees in the 10th inning of a 5-4 win at Tropicana Field.

(Nathan Ray Seebeck, Imagn Images)

The Cleveland Guardians’ Jose Ramirez acknowledges the fans after becoming the team’s all-time leader in games played against the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field on April 6, 2026.

(David Dermer, Imagn Images)

A rainbow appears during the fourth inning during the game between the San Diego Padres and Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on April 6, 2026.

(Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images)

A fan dresses as the Pope claps during the first inning of the game between the Chicago White Sox and Toronto Blue Jays at Rate Field on April 5, 2026. The White Sox won the game, 3-0, to complete a three-game sweep of the Blue Jays.

(Matt Marton, Imagn Images)

The Pittsburgh Pirates’ Konnor Griffin celebrates with a traffic cone after making his major-league debut in a 5-4 defeat of the Baltimore Orioles at PNC Park on April 3, 2026.

(Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images)

A young Red Sox fan meets Tessie the Boston Red Sox mascot before the Red Sox’s home opener against the San Diego Padres at Fenway Park on April 3, 2026.

(Eric Canha, Imagn Images)

(Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images)

Miami Marlins shortstop Otto Lopez (6) and center fielder Jakob Marsee celebrate a victory against the Chicago White Sox at loanDepot Park on April 1, 2026.

(Jim Rassol, Imagn Images)

Fans try to catch a solo home run hit by the San Francisco Giants’ Matt Chapman as San Diego Padres left fielder Nick Castellanos looks on during the third inning at Petco Park on March 31, 2026.

(Denis Poroy, Imagn Images)

Philadelphia Phillies mascot The Phillie Phanatic entertains fans during the game against the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park on March 31, 2026.

(Kyle Ross, Imagn Images)

The Toronto Blue Jays’ Kazuma Okamoto gets doused with ice water by teammates after a win over the Athletics at Rogers Centre on March 29, 2026.

(John E. Sokolowski, Imagn Images)

The Cincinnati Reds’ Eugenio Suárez blows a bubble as he waits to bat against the Boston Red Sox at Great American Ball Park on March 28, 2026.

(Aaron Doster, Imagn Images)

The St. Louis Cardinals’ JJ Wetherholt is doused with water by teammates after hitting a walk-off two-run single against the Tampa Bay Rays during the 10th inning at Busch Stadium on March 28, 2026.

(Jeff Curry, Imagn Images)

Fans react as the Milwaukee Brewers’ Jake Bauers homers against the Chicago White Sox at American Family Field on March 26, 2026.

(Jovanny Hernandez, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Two F-35C planes from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron NINE Detachment Edwards Air Force Base perform a flyover before the Opening Day game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on March 26, 2026.

(Kirby Lee, Imagn Images)

AL Central standings

TEAM	RECORD	GAMES BACK
Cleveland Guardians	81-75	—
Chicago White Sox	80-76	1.0
e-Detroit Tigers	74-83	7.5
e-Minnesota Twins	73-84	8.5
e-Kansas City Royals	67-89	14.0

e-eliminated from playoff contention

AL Central schedule

Cleveland Guardians schedule

Chicago White Sox schedule

Sept. 22-24: at Kansas City Royals (67-89)
Sept. 25-27: vs. Colorado Rockies (57-99)

What happens if Guardians and White Sox finish tied?

The White Sox won the season series 7-6, which gives them the head-to-head tiebreaker. If the teams finish with identical records, Chicago would win the AL Central title, and Cleveland would fall into the wild-card race.

AL Central magic numbers

The Guardians’ magic number to clinch the division is 6. They have a magic number of 3 to clinch a playoff berth.
The White Sox’s magic number to clinch the division is 7. They have a magic number of 4 to clinch a playoff berth.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: AL Central standings: Guardians, White Sox locked in tight division race

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