MLB AL Central Standings 2026
AL Central standings for the 2026 MLB season. The Cleveland Guardians lead the division at 85-77.
The Chicago White Sox sit a game back. Inside the division, the records so far are the Guardians 13-8, the White Sox 12-9, the Twins 6-9, the Tigers 5-12 and the Royals 7-5. The Tigers have the best run differential in the division at +71.
Two of the five teams are in playoff position today, the Guardians at No. 2 and the White Sox at No. 6. The Guardians are the defending champions after winning the AL Central at 88-74 in 2025 and lead again. The Guardians have clinched the AL Central.
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | HOME | AWAY | DIV | CONF | RS | RA | DIFF | STRK | L5 | PROJ | MAGIC | NEXT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Cleveland GuardiansCLE |
85 | 77 | .525 | - | 14-11 | 16-7 | 13-8 | 25-17 | 678 | 667 | +11 | L3 | 1-4 | 85 | Clinched | - |
| 2 |  Chicago White SoxCWS |
84 | 78 | .519 | 1 | 11-11 | 12-12 | 12-9 | 17-13 | 776 | 720 | +56 | L3 | 2-3 | 84 | Out | - |
| 3▲ |  Minnesota TwinsMIN |
77 | 85 | .475 | 8 | 10-8 | 7-12 | 6-9 | 12-16 | 739 | 797 | -58 | W1 | 4-1 | 77 | Out | - |
| 4▼ |  Detroit TigersDET |
76 | 86 | .469 | 9 | 10-8 | 5-14 | 5-12 | 8-15 | 723 | 652 | +71 | L1 | 2-3 | 76 | Out | - |
| 5 |  Kansas City RoyalsKC |
69 | 93 | .426 | 16 | 12-10 | 6-9 | 7-5 | 16-12 | 690 | 810 | -120 | W1 | 2-3 | 69 | Out | - |
- #
- 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
- 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
Guardians85-77Magic numberClinchedWhite Sox84-78 · 1 GBElimination numberOutTwins77-85 · 8 GBElimination numberOutTigers76-86 · 9 GBElimination numberOutRoyals69-93 · 16 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 Guardians85-77 · American League No. 2Chicago White Sox84-78 · American League No. 6Minnesota Twins77-85 · American League No. 10Detroit Tigers76-86 · American League No. 11Kansas City Royals69-93 · American League No. 13AL Central Games
Results
Recent AL Central Champions
Cleveland Guardians88-74 · 02024Cleveland Guardians92-69 · 02023Minnesota Twins87-75 · 02022Cleveland Guardians92-70 · 02022Cleveland Guardians92-70 · 0AL Central title history
Since 2022 the AL Central has been won by 2 different teams. The Cleveland Guardians have the most titles in that span with 4. The strongest champion was the Guardians in 2024 at 92-69.
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. They are 85-77 as of October 30.
Which teams are in the AL Central?
The Cleveland Guardians, the Chicago White Sox, the Minnesota Twins, the Detroit Tigers and the Kansas City Royals.
How far back is second place in the AL Central?
The Chicago White Sox trail the Cleveland Guardians by a game.
How many AL Central teams are in playoff position?
Two as of October 30: the Guardians at No. 2 and the White Sox at No. 6.
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 4 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 · last result change Sep 27