The National League playoff picture entering September features the Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Atlanta Braves holding division leads and strong positioning for first-round byes directly into the NLDS. The wild-card race remains competitive, with the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs securing two berths while the Arizona Diamondbacks hold a slim half-game edge over the San Diego Padres for the final spot. Recent results, including series outcomes between contenders and division leaders, have shaped momentum, with teams like the Phillies showing strong recent form. Remaining schedule strength, head-to-head tiebreakers, and September performance will determine final seeding and which clubs advance through the best-of-three wild-card round to reach the best-of-five NLDS beginning October 3.