All 30 MLB teams released their schedules for the 2026 season earlier this week, and there are already a handful of fan bases that aren't thrilled seeing the final slate of games in September for their squads. It's always tough to predict what teams will be or won't be good a year from now, but there are consistent franchises that you can count on being competitive almost every season.
With that in mind, here are five teams that face a hard September schedule for the 2026 season — one that could make the difference between making it to October and falling just short.
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Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are in line to win their third straight NL Central title this season, but if they do it again in 2026, they'll be going through a divisional gauntlet to end the year. Out of their last eight series in 2026, six of them will be against division rivals, beginning with a four-game road set against the Chicago Cubs. Plus, the other two series will be against the Baltimore Orioles, who should be better after (hopefully) adding on this offseason, as well as the Philadelphia Phillies, who have finished with an above-.500 record for five consecutive seasons.
Oh and by the way, the Brewers have a three-city road trip from Sept. 15-24, against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Phillies and Orioles before ending the year against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are struggling to stay in the Wild Card race this year, and if they fail to make the postseason in 2025, they'll have a nightmare of a path to October in 2026 as they look to break their playoff drought. Looking ahead to next September, the Reds have seven of eight series against current playoff teams.
Yes, seriously: Beginning with a three-game series against the San Diego Padres, the Reds will play 22 of their last 25 games against teams that are in position to make the postseason in 2025. Out of those 22 games, seven are against the Los Angeles Dodgers and six are against the Brewers. The Reds also end their 2026 regular season with a six-game road trip against the Atlanta Braves, who should be better next season, and the Toronto Blue Jays.
Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins were quietly becoming a pesky team this summer, getting to a .500 record early in August. They've taken a few steps back over the past three weeks, but if they're able to add some offense and keep their pitching intact, Miami could be a sneaky-competitive team in 2026. However, those chances of flirting with a playoff berth may take a hit once the calendar flips to September.
The Marlins have games against the Cubs, New York Mets, Dodgers and Padres, while also playing on the road against the Arizona Diamondbacks. By the way, the Braves feel bound to improve, so that's another tough three-game series the Marlins will deal with to end their regular season.
Baltimore Orioles
One of the most disappointing teams of 2025 will really have to earn a trip back to the playoffs in 2026, because the Baltimore Orioles end next year with 15 straight games against postseason teams.
The start of the month might look like an easy series, but for a team that has struggled to have consistent results from their starting rotation, Orioles fans will have to sweat out three games on the road against the Colorado Rockies. Immediately following that series the Orioles have to travel back home to host a four-game series against the Boston Red Sox with no day off in between. Baltimore ends a stretch of 16 straight games on Sept. 9, and then the 15-game stretch against current playoff teams begins.
Tampa Bay Rays
You can almost always count on the Tampa Bay Rays to be somewhere in the playoff mix, but it looks like they'll be missing October for the second straight season. Looking ahead to 2026, the Rays have will have tough opponents from both leagues in September.
Tampa Bay is scheduled to play against the Mets, Braves and Phillies during the final month of the regular season, while also squaring off against the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros. Oh, and then there's Tampa Bay's own division rivals, as the Rays have the Red Sox and New York Yankees on their slate as well. The Rays then finish the season with a six-game road trip against the Yankees and then Phillies. Good luck.