Sports News Today — September 25, 2026
MLB playoff tracker: Cubs, White Sox, Guardians, Padres all clinch Thursday and more — today's sports signal.
The playoff picture is coming into focus across professional sports, with several teams punching their tickets to the postseason on Thursday. In Major League Baseball, the Cubs, White Sox, Guardians, and Padres all clinched playoff berths, marking a significant achievement for each team. For the White Sox, this is a particularly notable milestone, as they secured their first playoff spot in years after enduring 324 losses over the previous three seasons. The Cubs also made history, clinching their second straight playoff berth with a win over the Marlins.
The WNBA playoff bracket is also taking shape, with the Mystics locking in the 5-seed and the Fever securing the 6-seed. As the postseason approaches, teams are looking to make a deep run and bring home a championship. In the NBA, Oklahoma City Thunder executive Masai Presti expressed confidence in his team's ability to maintain its competitive edge despite offseason departures. Meanwhile, MLB fans can get a sense of where their favorite teams stand with the latest power rankings, which evaluate the playoff contenders and hopefuls as the season winds down.
Today's signal:
• MLB playoff tracker: Cubs, White Sox, Guardians, Padres all clinch Thursday (espn.com)
• WNBA playoff bracket coming into focus: Mystics lock in 5-seed, Fever are No. 6 (espn.com)
• White Sox clinch AL playoff berth after 324 losses over previous 3 seasons (espn.com)
• Cubs clinch second straight playoff berth with win over Marlins (espn.com)
• Presti: Not expecting OKC downturn despite offseason departures (espn.com)
• ⚾ MLB Power Rankings: Where playoff contenders, hopefuls stand (espn.com)