Cubs Magic Number Watch: Playoffs Virtually a Lock, But What About Seeding?

The Chicago Cubs can almost taste it.

On Sunday, Craig Counsell's squad took down the Cincinnati Reds in blowout fashion, 9-1. Their offense continued to fire on all cylinders, while mid-season acquisition David Peterson threw another gem. The former Mets arm allowed only a single run and struck out seven batters in 6.0 innings of work.

Of course, it wasn't all good news for the Cubs, who lost Alex Bregman mid-game in a scary moment. Michael Busch fouled a ball back toward the on-deck circle, hitting the third baseman in the face. He was transported to the hospital, where an image showed significant swelling in his eye. The hope now is that Bregman can make a speedy recovery, especially with the postseason a couple of weeks away.

Speaking of which, winning the series in Cincy meant lowering the Magic Number to a mere ONE game. The Cubs will now have a chance to lock in their second consecutive playoff berth with a win over the Miami Marlins at Wrigley Field.

The team has yet to announce who will be on the mound to start that outing, but it's worth noting that Miami will go with Janson Junk. The righty threw against this Cubs squad just a couple of weeks ago, dealing 5.0 innings of one-run ball with only three hits. While the Cubs would win the game 6-1, it was undoubtedly a strong outing.

Still, this is the exact situation the Cubs want to be in. They hold their own destiny and are destined to book their ticket to a Wild Card round. To be clear, they still had a chance to celebrate last night with a Diamondbacks loss, but they ended up taking down the Yankees to keep their season on life support.

Who doesn't prefer popping bottles at Wrigley, anyway?

Wild Card Slot Still Up in the Air for Cubs

Sep 20, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Colin Rea (53) high fives catcher Miguel Amaya (9) after the victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While the Chicago Cubs are only a win away from the playoffs, the seeding is far from guaranteed.

They are still in a stiff race for the top Wild Card slot. After months of having a stronghold on the position, the Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres have crashed the party. The Cubs and Padres are currently tied with an 87-69 record. The Phillies are just 1.0 game behind at 86-70.

Fortunately for the Cubs, they did some of the dirty work earlier this season. The next two series will play out knowing that they hold the tiebreaker advantage over both teams. In other words, the Phillies and Padres will have to finish with one more win than the Cubs to land in front of them on the totem pole. Any tie will result in the Cubs having the higher seed.

With how well each team has played in recent weeks, it's certainly possible they end up stealing the Cubs' spot for good. But there is no doubt the schedule works in Chicago's favor. Here are the final two opponents for all three teams:

Cubs: Miami Marlins (3), Boston Red Sox (3)
Padres: Los Angeles Dodgers (3), Arizona Diamondbacks (3)
Phillies: Milwaukee Brewers (3), Tampa Bay Rays (3)

Keep in mind that all three teams are off on Monday. Action will resume on Tuesday night, and there is no doubt that many eyes will be on this race down the stretch.

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