Reminder: Playoff Seeding Doesn’t Matter—The Phillies should beat any team in the National League

With 10 games left in the 2024 MLB regular season, the Philadelphia Phillies are in a strong position to clinch their first division title in 13 years. They could secure the NL East as early as Friday night in New York.

NL Postseason Teams:

• Philadelphia Phillies (NL East)
• Los Angeles Dodgers (NL West)
• Milwaukee Brewers (NL Central)
• San Diego Padres (Wild Card)
• Arizona Diamondbacks (Wild Card)
• New York Mets (Wild Card)

In the Hunt:

• Atlanta Braves (Wild Card)

Full Breakdown of the National League Postseason Here >>

The Phillies’ magic number to clinch the NL East is four.

Currently, The Fightins are 91-61, with a 6-4 record over their last 10 games. They lead the New York Mets by eight games and the Atlanta Braves by 10 in the NL East.

In the National League, they have the best record, holding a one-game advantage over the Los Angeles Dodgers. They lead the Dodgers by one game, the New York Yankees by two games, and the Milwaukee Brewers by three games for the best record in all of Major League Baseball.

There’s a lot of talk about postseason seeding and what might “benefit” the Phillies in October. But honestly, if you believe the Phillies should struggle against any NL team, even those squeaking in via the Wild Card, you’re mistaken.

The Phillies are the best team in Major League Baseball. Their record proves it, and their lineup and pitching staff are built for the postseason.

If the season ended today, the Phillies would be the No. 1 seed in the NL and would face the winner of the New York Mets vs. San Diego Padres Wild Card bracket.

The Brewers clinched the NL Central but lose the tiebreaker scenarios to the Dodgers and Phillies. As a result, they’re currently scheduled to play the last Wild Card team, the Arizona Diamondbacks, in the first round. The winner of that matchup will face the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Phillies will play the winner of the New York Mets and San Diego Padres series.

Note: Each best-of-three Wild Card Series begins on Oct. 1, while each best-of-five Division Series starts on Oct. 5.

There’s still plenty to watch in the National League over the final 10 games of the regular season. The Phillies have four more games against the Mets, and the Diamondbacks are starting a series against the Brewers tonight.

The Padres will face the Diamondbacks in their final series from Sept. 27-29. The Mets and Braves have a pivotal series at the end of September, so the Wild Card picture is still fluid, while the Phillies are indirectly competing with the Dodgers for the top seed.

Ultimately, playoff seeding doesn’t matter. The Phillies should beat any team they face in the NLDS. If there’s one team to “avoid,” it might be the Diamondbacks, due to their annoying home dome. But the mantra remains: fear no one.

Beat the teams you’re supposed to beat, get to the World Series, and take down whatever American League team dares to step into Citizens Bank Park in October.

Join The Chase

---