There is a little more than a month left in the MLB season, and the playoff race is starting to settle into a more manageable shape. Especially in the era of the expanded playoffs, the wild card is always an interesting race. Here are the contenders for the NL Wild Card and how they stand right now.
At this point, the Cubs look to be pretty solidly in the playoff picture. Fangraphs has them with a 98.7% chance of making the playoffs. Pete Crow-Armstrong looks like an MVP favorite and is doing absolutely everything, and the defense for the Cubs looks to be one of the best ever. Looking at the standings, they are several games up on any of the other wild card hopefuls. The Cubs are focused more on chasing down the Brewers in the NL Central than fighting off wild card teams. It looks like the Cubs will be in the dance; the only question is: as what seed?
The longer your lineup is, the more games you win. That has been the main problem for Philadelphia. Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper have done their thing, but the guys behind them have been inconsistent at best, leading to a lot of offensive struggles. Luckily for the Phils, their pitching staff, especially Zack Wheeler and Cristopher Sanchez, has been exceptional. The trade for Luis Arraez has given them a little juice, and guys like Bryson Stott and Alec Bohm have been better since the deadline, but they will need to be more consistent to be more than a wild-card exit.
San Diego has been surging, thanks in big part to their stars doing what they should have been doing all season. Fernando Tatis Jr. has started to hit for power, Jackson Merrill is back to mashing, and Manny Machado has been more consistent. It remains to be seen whether their acquisitions in the starting rotation can help out long-term, as Robbie Ray and Casey Mize have struggled in limited time with the team. If those guys can get back to form, it can be dangerous, as this team can close out games with one of the best bullpens in baseball.
The Diamondbacks continue to wait for reinforcements and for their offense to find a decent rhythm. They have the guys at the top who will do what they can in Corbin Carroll and Gabriel Moreno, but the bottom of the lineup has been a bit of a revolving door. The pitching staff continues to tread water, but they have gotten better outings lately from Brandon Pfaadt and Michael Soroka.
The story of the week was Joshua Baez and his first-game power surge. Can one guy like that boost a team like the Cardinals into playoff contention? They will need to use that offense to grab more leads and hang onto them, as their bullpen has not been great. Another big boost would come if Jordan Walker could get back to first-half form.
This is the dark horse team to watch in this NL wild card discussion. Miami has been one of the streakiest teams in the league this season, and while they took a downturn after the All-Star Break, they have been slightly better recently. If they could get on any sort of hot streak similar to the one they were on in June, they could very easily shoot back up into a playoff spot. They have a starting rotation you don’t want to face in a 3-game series. Sandy Alcantara, Max Meyer, and Eury Perez could give a team serious trouble.
The Pirates bought at the deadline as wild card hopefuls, but have backslid ever since. They are still clinging to a bit of hope, but the offense has gone cold at the worst time, Paul Skenes is dealing with a velocity drop, and the bullpen hasn’t been much better after their deadline additions. Pittsburgh looked like they could contend, but have faded fast.
I included the Reds on this list mostly because I included the Pirates, and they are the same number of games back. It would be an absolute miracle if the Reds were to make the playoffs at this point. Not only have they been mediocre at best for most of the year, but their September stretch is brutal. They play the Brewers and Dodgers twice, as well as the Cubs, Braves, and Padres. Good luck making up any games with that schedule.
Check out our MLB page for more stories like this!
You can like The Game Haus on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more sports and esports articles from great TGH writers!
Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.
