Houston Astros maintain narrow American League West lead entering September
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 2, 2026, 3:31 PM
Last updated Sep 2, 2026
The Houston Astros hold a fragile two-game lead in the American League West with a 70-68 record as the final month of the season begins. The division remains highly competitive, with all five teams having held first place at various points throughout the 2026 campaign. While the Houston Astros have occupied the top spot since July 31, the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners remain in contention. Seattle plays 19 of its final 24 games against intradivisional opponents, while the Houston Astros face a demanding schedule with the ninth-hardest remaining strength of schedule. The division outcome could be decided on the final day of the regular season, as the Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, and Seattle Mariners all play their concluding games on September 27.
- •The Houston Astros lead the American League West with a 70-68 record.
- •All five American League West teams have held first place this season.
- •Seattle plays 19 of its final 24 games against divisional opponents.
- •The Houston Astros face the ninth-hardest strength of schedule through the end of the season.
- •The regular season concludes for all three contenders on September 27.
- 3:31 PMYahoo Sports — Who Will Win the Worst Division Battle in MLB History?
"The 2026 season of Major League Baseball and its oddities will be looked back on for years to come. There’s an extraordinary power difference between leagues. There could potentially be the first sub-.500 playoff team ever. There’s also a blatantly terrible, yet potentially historic, division race among everything else the 2026 season has challenged. The […] The post Who Will Win the Worst Division Battle in MLB History? appeared first on The Lead.
Sources
External linksOriginal reporting and copyright belong to the linked sources. SportsNewsReport.com aggregates and links — it does not republish full articles.
Related Stories
Last 14 days
MLB•Oct 18, 2026, 6:25 PMDeseret News archives: This is why they call Reggie Jackson ‘Mr. October’
MLB•Oct 18, 2026, 6:00 PMSun Belt Week 7 Takeways
MLB•Oct 18, 2026, 1:03 PMThe Astros' horrible, long-forgotten first stadium is finally getting its due
MLB•Oct 17, 2026, 7:33 PMKansas State report card: Grading the Wildcats' gritty win vs Kansas- MLB•Oct 17, 2026, 5:12 PMMariners manager candidate backs out of running for lesser job with Phillies
MLB•Oct 17, 2026, 2:09 PMSaturday morning Rangers stuff
