The Major League Baseball (MLB) season is 162 games long with 30 teams competing for 12 spots in the postseason playoffs. MLB is unique in the landscape of American sports in that the league is divided into two factions—the National League (NL) and American League (AL). NL teams play the majority of their games against other NL teams, and AL teams play the majority of their games against other AL teams. The top six teams from each league qualify for the postseason, seeded with the team with the best record at one, the next best division winner at two, the third best division winner at three and the three “wild card” spots are the next three best records. The top two seeds get a “bye” until the next round where they face the winner of the three seed versus six seed and four seed versus five seed. The wild card teams are the non-division winners with the three best records. As the MLB season comes to a close, teams’ futures are often determined by how they perform in the last few games of the regular season. That is especially true this year in the National League with the fourth to eighth ranked teams in the NL being within nine games of each other with about 12 left to be played. Anything can happen, which is why we have analyzed the situation and provided you with a guide for who to root for, how to follow the action and more as the season goes down to the wire.
NL Standings (as of Sept. 16):
- Philadelphia Phillies* 90-59
- Los Angeles Dodgers* 88-61
- Milwaukee Brewers* 86-63
- San Diego Padres* 85-65, +3.5 WCGB
- Arizona Diamondbacks* 83-66, +2 WCGB
- Atlanta Braves* 81-68, +/- 0 WCGB
- New York Mets 81-68, +/- 0 WCGB
- Chicago Cubs 76-73, -5 WCGB
- St. Louis Cardinals 74-75, -7 WCGB
* = Currently in the playoffs
WCGB = Games back from wild card
Note: The Mets and Braves are exactly tied for record, but Atlanta is seeded ahead due to their alphabetically-advantageous team name. The official tie-breaker is head-to-head record, which is currently tied at five and will be decided in the teams’ three game series later this month.
San Diego Padres
Is trading Juan Soto, as good a young superstar as there is in MLB, the key to success? Almost certainly, the answer is no. Still, the Padres did just that over the summer and have rebounded from a disappointing 2023 campaign. Currently in control of the top wild card spot, the Padres have the bats, starting pitchers and bullpen pieces to make a run for October. Could they possibly catch the NL West leading Los Angeles Dodgers and start to wreak havoc before the postseason even begins?
Arizona Diamondbacks
Last season, the Diamondbacks rode the same wild card position they are tussling for now all the way to the World Series, where they ultimately lost in five games to the Texas Rangers. Still, the Diamondbacks—known affectionately as the Snakes by those drawn to their ability to defeat the biggest names in baseball—entered the new season with high expectations. Such excitement was dampened as the Snakes limped their way through the first three months of the season. From the start of the season until the end of June, Arizona was 41-43. Since July, however, the Snakes are 42-23, and as of Sunday night, they hold the second NL wild card spot. Showing no signs of slowing down now, look for the likes of Ketel Marte and Corbin Carroll to provide some memorable postseason moments once again.
Atlanta Braves
With the Philadelphia Phillies getting off to a red-hot start to the season and Ronald Acuña Jr.’s season-ending injury, the perennial playoff-quality Braves are forced to contend for a wild card spot. Thanks to the New York Mets September hot-streak, the Braves are now neck and neck with their division rival for the final wild card spot. The Braves are certainly not a loveable underdog—they have too much of a track record of success for this to be the case—but they should certainly not be counted out. Matt Olson and Marcell Ozuna can still change a game with a single swing, and C.Y. Young candidate Chris Sale is capable of giving any lineup fits. In the last two playoffs, the wild card Phillies have stunned the division champion Braves. Could this be the year where the opposite happens?
New York Mets
For decades, the New York Mets have lived in the shadow of the New York Yankees. The Mets are situated in Flushing, Queens, and the Yankees are about six miles to the Northwest in the Bronx. Historically, the Mets have not enjoyed the same success as their counterparts, winning two total world series—in 1969 and 1986—compared to the Yankees’ 27 total. But this article is not about the Mets’ inferiority. Rather, it is about how their underdog mentality and consistent misrepresentation have generated the fun, gritty and energizing team that is now in a position to make the MLB playoffs after sitting 15 games out from first place in the National League East at a record of 22-32 on May 28. New York’s momentous run has been fueled by shortstop Fransisco Lindor putting together an MVP-worthy season, underscored by his offensive production of a .271 batting average and 31 home runs. Pitchers Sean Manea and Luis Severino have come up clutch for the Mets in the second half of their season. The Mets are sitting 81-68, exactly tied with the Atlanta Braves, as of Sept. 16. The Mets will play the Braves in a critical three game series between Sept. 24 and 26 which will more than likely decide which team will go onto the postseason.
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals approach their final two weeks of the season with 74 wins and 74 losses. To make the playoffs, they will need to win the majority of, if not all, of their remaining games. Currently, the Cards have a <one-percent chance of making the playoffs. Even if the Cardinals ‘win-out’ (win the rest of their 14 games), they will only have about a nine percent chance of making the playoffs. St. Louis has entered the past few seasons with high hopes on the shoulders of third baseman Nolan Arenado and first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, but these two players have just not posted the offense production necessary the past few weeks, rendering the Cardinals unthreatening as the playoffs near. If you love hoping for miracles, you will love the St. Louis Cardinals.
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs have enjoyed a turbulent season, which has led to them sitting in eighth place in the NL and six games out of the final wild card spot. The Cubs will need to win at least eight out of their next 12 games if they want any chance of making it to the postseason. The Cubs started the season strong and stayed in a position to make a move for a Wild Card spot. As the Mets heated up in August and early September, Chicago fell behind and now relies on the Mets and Braves to fail in their last two weeks for them to have any chance at a postseason. Cheering on the Cubs will be a daunting task with their inconsistent offense and poor defense. The Cubs started the season off well, hovering a few games above .500 until they started losing more games in June and July. The Cubs are a fun team that maybe just maybe could knock Atlanta or New York out of that coveted sixth wild card spot.
With the final two weeks of the MLB season underway, viewers, fans and hopeful stans will watch with awe as their team looks to claim one of the six coveted spots in their leagues playoffs. Do not miss out on the action and tune in. Hopefully this article provided you with the necessary guidance to choose a proper team.
Additional reporting by Nicolas Villamil.