MLB Postseason: Where every contending team in the National League stands with only 2 days remaining in the regular season

MLB Postseason: We are in the final days of the 2024 MLB regular season and while Phillies’ fans are gearing up for yet another edition of “Red October” let’s take a closer look at where the rest of the National League stands with just 2 days left in the regular season.

If the season ended today, the following NL teams would make the MLB Postseason:

MLB Postseason – NL playoff teams: Los Angeles Dodgers (NL West), Philadelphia Phillies (NL East), Milwaukee Brewers (NL Central), San Diego Padres (Wild Card), Atlanta Braves (Wild Card), New York Mets (Wild Card)

Clinched first-round bye/home field in LDS: Phillies, Dodgers
Clinched division: Brewers
Clinched postseason berth: Padres
In playoff position: Braves, Mets

MLB Postseason – In The Hunt: Arizona Diamondbacks (Wild Card)

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Phillies Standings:

Zack Wheeler wrapped up a stellar season in Saturday afternoon’s 6-3 loss to the Nationals at Nationals Park, making his final case for Cy Young consideration. Wheeler pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowing two runs, striking out 11, and walking two. His performance extended his remarkable streak, becoming the first Phillies pitcher since 1893 to pitch six-plus innings and allow two or fewer runs in 11 consecutive starts.

Wheeler’s season ends with a 16-7 record and a 2.57 ERA, marking the lowest ERA by a Philadelphia starter since Aaron Nola’s 2.37 ERA in 2018. Despite Wheeler’s effort, the Phillies fell to the Nationals, locking them into the NL’s No. 2 seed for the postseason.

As the No. 2 seed, the Phillies will enjoy home-field advantage in the NL Division Series but won’t be guaranteed it in the NL Championship Series should they advance. Philadelphia is set to face the winner of the Wild Card Series between the No. 3 seed Milwaukee Brewers and the No. 6 seed, which could be the Braves, Mets, or Diamondbacks.

Phillies / MLB Postseason Updates >>

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MLB Postseason: National League Standings

NL East Rundown

Philadelphia Phillies

Clinched NL East, first-round bye and home-field advantage in NLDS

• Win tiebreaker vs: N/A
• Lose tiebreaker vs: N/A
• Tiebreaker TBD vs: N/A

The Phillies are locked into the No. 2 NL seed and will have a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the NL Division Series.

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NL Central Breakdown

Milwaukee Brewers

Clinched NL Central

The Brewers are officially locked into the NL’s No. 3 seed and will host the No. 6 NL seed in the Wild Card Series. Their position is set, meaning they will begin their postseason run at home against the lowest Wild Card team.

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NL West Snapshot

Los Angeles Dodgers

Clinched NL West, first-round bye and home-field advantage thru NLCS

The Los Angeles Dodgers have officially clinched the NL West and secured the top seed in the National League, thanks to the Philadelphia Phillies’ Saturday afternoon loss to the Washington Nationals. With this clinch, the Dodgers will have home-field advantage throughout the NL playoffs.

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NL Wild Card Watch

San Diego Padres

Clinched top Wild Card spot

By beating the D-backs on Friday, the Padres secured the top NL Wild Card spot and will play against the No. 5 seed in the NL.

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Atlanta Braves

One game ahead of NYM for 2nd Wild Card spot

• Win tiebreaker vs: D-backs
• Lose tiebreaker vs: N/A
• Tiebreaker TBD vs: Mets (6-5, 2 games remaining)

The Wild Card race is heating up with crucial tiebreaker implications between the Braves, Mets, and D-backs. Here’s how the situation stands:

• Braves vs. Mets: The Braves lead the Mets by one game for the second Wild Card spot. The season series, and thus the head-to-head tiebreaker, will be determined by Monday’s doubleheader between the two teams. The Braves need to win at least one of the two games to secure the tiebreaker over the Mets. If they do, Atlanta will be in a stronger position to finish as the No. 5 seed.
• Three-Way Tie (Braves, Mets, D-backs): Should the Braves, Mets, and Diamondbacks end up in a three-way tie for the final two Wild Card spots, the Braves and Mets would both make the playoffs, and the D-backs would be eliminated. This is because Arizona has already lost the season series tiebreaker to both Atlanta and New York.

In this three-team scenario, the Braves can lock up the No. 5 seed by winning just one game in the doubleheader, leaving the Mets as the No. 6 seed. If the Mets sweep the Braves, they could leapfrog Atlanta and claim the higher seed.

Monday’s games will be critical in shaping the NL Wild Card seeding as the race comes down to the wire.

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New York Mets

One game behind ATL for 2nd Wild Card spot

• Win tiebreaker vs: D-Backs
• Lose tiebreaker vs: N/A
• Tiebreaker TBD vs: Padres (5-6, 2 games remaining)

The race for the final NL Wild Card spots is intense, with the Mets holding a key tiebreaker advantage over the Diamondbacks, and a crucial doubleheader against the Braves looming.

• Mets vs. D-backs: The Mets already secured the season series over Arizona, giving them the tiebreaker if the two teams finish with identical records.
• Braves vs. Mets: The Braves currently lead the Mets by one game, but the season series is undecided. Monday’s doubleheader in Atlanta will be pivotal, as the outcome will determine who wins the tiebreaker between the two teams. If the Mets sweep both games, they will claim the season series tiebreaker and could earn the No. 5 seed in a potential three-team tie.
• Three-Way Tie (Mets, Braves, D-backs): In this scenario, both the Braves and Mets would secure Wild Card spots, and the D-backs would be eliminated since they’ve already lost the tiebreaker to both teams. However, the seeding between the Mets and Braves will depend on Monday’s doubleheader results. The Mets would need to win both games to leap over the Braves and grab the No. 5 seed. If the Braves win one game, they secure the tiebreaker and the No. 5 seed.

Monday’s games will be crucial in deciding who claims the higher Wild Card spot and could be the deciding factor in which teams make the playoffs.

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Arizona Diamondbacks

1 winning percentage point behind NYM for 3rd Wild Card spot

• Win tiebreaker vs: N/A
• Lose tiebreaker vs: Braves, Mets
• Tiebreaker TBD vs: N/A

The Arizona Diamondbacks face a tough path to the postseason, and their fate might not be entirely in their hands. After a surprise run to the World Series last year, Arizona is now in danger of missing out on the playoffs due to unfavorable tiebreaker scenarios.

• Tiebreaker Situation: The D-backs have already lost the season series tiebreakers against both the Braves and Mets. This means that if there’s a three-way tie for the final two NL Wild Card spots between the Diamondbacks, Braves, and Mets, Arizona would be eliminated. The Braves and Mets would claim the two spots, leaving Arizona on the outside looking in.
• What Arizona Needs: For the D-backs to make the postseason, they’ll need help. Not only do they need to win their remaining games, but they also need either the Braves or Mets to falter down the stretch and fall out of contention. Arizona cannot rely on a three-way tie scenario, as they would automatically be eliminated.

In short, Arizona’s playoff hopes are hanging by a thread, and while they’re still mathematically alive, they’ll need some breaks to return to the postseason.

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