MLB AL Central Standings 2026
AL Central standings for the 2026 MLB season. The Cleveland Guardians lead the division at 78-75. The Chicago White Sox sit 0.5 games back. Division records so far: Guardians 9-8, White Sox 10-5, Tigers 5-13, Twins 6-9, Royals 7-2. The Tigers have the best run differential in the division at +76. 2 of the 5 teams are in playoff position today: Guardians (No. 2), White Sox (No. 6). The Guardians are the defending champions after winning the AL Central at 88-74 in 2025 and lead again. The Guardians magic number to clinch the AL Central is 10.
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | HOME | AWAY | DIV | CONF | RS | RA | DIFF | STRK | L5 | PROJ | MAGIC | NEXT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Cleveland GuardiansCLE |
78 | 75 | .510 | – | 10-10 | 10-6 | 9-8 | 14-10 | 631 | 638 | -7 | W2 | 3-2 | 83 | 10 | vs OAK Fri 9/18 |
| 2 |  Chicago White SoxCWS |
77 | 75 | .507 | 0.5 | 9-10 | 9-9 | 10-5 | 13-10 | 711 | 677 | +34 | L2 | 2-3 | 82 | E10 | vs DET Thu 9/17 |
| 3 |  Detroit TigersDET |
72 | 80 | .474 | 5.5 | 8-8 | 9-13 | 5-13 | 11-17 | 683 | 607 | +76 | L1 | 4-1 | 77 | E5 | @ CWS Thu 9/17 |
| 4 |  Minnesota TwinsMIN |
71 | 81 | .467 | 6.5 | 8-9 | 5-13 | 6-9 | 10-14 | 692 | 765 | -73 | W1 | 1-4 | 76 | E4 | @ LAA Thu 9/17 |
| 5 |  Kansas City RoyalsKC |
67 | 85 | .441 | 10.5 | 11-8 | 7-9 | 7-2 | 16-8 | 641 | 734 | -93 | W1 | 3-2 | 71 | Out | @ HOU Thu 9/17 |
Legend
- #
- Place in division
- W
- Wins
- L
- Losses
- PCT
- Winning percentage
- GB
- Games behind division leader
- HOME
- Home record
- AWAY
- Away record
- DIV
- Division record
- CONF
- League record
- RS
- Runs scored
- RA
- Runs allowed
- DIFF
- Run differential
- STRK
- Current streak
- L5
- Last 5 games
- PROJ
- Projected final wins at the current rate
- MAGIC
- Magic number: any combination of leader wins and second-place losses that clinches the division (E = elimination number; 0 = out of the division race)
- NEXT
- Next game
Clinch tags
- x
- Clinched playoff berth
- y
- Clinched wild card
- z
- Clinched division
- *
- Clinched best record in the league and home-field advantage
- e
- Eliminated from playoff contention
- ▲ ▼
- Moved up or down since the last games
- Playoff cutoff (league view)
Standings are updated with the completion of each game. Clinch tags use wins-only maths and appear once a spot is mathematically settled.
AL Central clinch watch
Guardians78-75Magic number10White Sox77-75 · 0.5 GBElimination number10Tigers72-80 · 5.5 GBElimination number5Twins71-81 · 6.5 GBElimination number4Royals67-85 · 10.5 GBElimination numberOutMagic number = any combination of leader wins and second-place losses that clinches the division. Elimination number = how much a chaser can still lose before the title is out of reach.
AL Central Teams
Cleveland Guardians78-75 · American League No. 2Next: vs Athletics, Fri, Sep 18 7:10 PMChicago White Sox77-75 · American League No. 6Next: vs Tigers, Thu, Sep 17 7:40 PMDetroit Tigers72-80 · American League No. 10Next: @ White Sox, Thu, Sep 17 7:40 PMMinnesota Twins71-81 · American League No. 11Next: @ Angels, Thu, Sep 17 9:38 PMKansas City Royals67-85 · American League No. 13Next: @ Astros, Thu, Sep 17 7:15 PMAL Central Games
Results
Upcoming
Recent AL Central Champions
Cleveland Guardians88-74 · 02024Cleveland Guardians92-69 · 02023Minnesota Twins87-75 · 02022Cleveland Guardians92-70 · 02021Chicago White Sox93-69 · 0AL Central title history
Since 2021 the AL Central has been won by 3 different teams. The Cleveland Guardians have the most titles in that span with 3. The strongest champion was the White Sox in 2021 at 93-69. A division title is the only guaranteed playoff ticket in MLB: division winners take seeds 1 to 3 and the two with the best records skip the Wild Card Series.
📋 Full American League standings → 🏆 Playoff picture →
AL Central FAQ
Who is leading the AL Central?
The Cleveland Guardians at 78-75, as of September 17.
Which teams are in the AL Central?
Cleveland Guardians, Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, Minnesota Twins, Kansas City Royals.
How far back is second place in the AL Central?
The Chicago White Sox trail the Cleveland Guardians by 0.5 games.
How many AL Central teams are in playoff position?
2 as of September 17: Guardians (No. 2), White Sox (No. 6).
When is the next AL Central game?
Tigers at White Sox on Thursday, September 17.
Who won the AL Central last season?
The Cleveland Guardians, at 88-74 in 2025.
Who has won the AL Central most often recently?
The Cleveland Guardians, with 3 titles in the last 5 seasons.
How is the AL Central winner decided?
Best winning percentage over the 162-game season. If two teams tie there is no extra game: head-to-head record decides first, then record within the division, then against the rest of the league.
Does the AL Central winner make the playoffs?
Yes. The three division winners are seeded 1 to 3 in their league by record. The top two get a bye to the Division Series; the third hosts a best-of-three Wild Card Series.
What does GB mean?
Games behind the division leader. A half game means the teams have played a different number of games.
Updated