The playoff picture in the National League is getting clearer by the day. A lot can still happen over the final few weeks of the regular season, though. The conference as a whole is stacked with elite superstars and great depth, and it will really be anybody's game come playoff time. So, how does the NL playoff picture currently stack up?
National League division leaders
Milwaukee Brewers, National League Central, 89-57
Philadelphia Phillies, National League East, 85-60
Los Angeles Dodgers, National League West, 81-64
The Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies both have sizable leads on their divisional peers, so they have all but locked up division titles. The Brewers are up 6.5 games on the Chicago Cubs, and the Phillies have a nine-game lead on the New York Mets. The Brewers' 89 wins are the most in baseball.
Milwaukee has both the second-best batting average (.260) in baseball, as well as the second-best team ERA (3.62). The team has found success without many heralded players on their roster. The Phillies, meanwhile, are loaded with big-name superstars. Kyle Schwarber just became the first NL player to reach 50 home runs.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are still atop the NL West, although divisional rivals are right on their tail. The Dodgers have battled injuries all season long, but they are slowly but surely getting healthier. At full strength, the team could certainly defend their World Series title.
National League Wild Card
Chicago Cubs, 82-63
San Diego Padres, 79-66
New York Mets, 76-69
Despite having a large win disparity between them and the team leading the NL Central, the Chicago Cubs still have a very impressive record. The team has a large lead on the other teams in the Wild Card. The return of Kyle Tucker will be crucial in helping them finish strong, though.
The San Diego Padres are close enough in the standings to push the Dodgers for the NL West title. Neither team has shined as of recent. In fact, both the Dodgers and Padres went 4-6 over their last 10 games. The New York Mets, who currently hold the final Wild Card spot, have been even worse recently. New York has lost each of their last four games.
NL teams in the playoff hunt
San Francisco Giants, 74-71
Cincinnati Reds, 73-72
Arizona Diamondbacks, 72-74
St. Louis Cardinals, 72-74
Four NL teams linger around .500. They will have to end their mediocrity and get hot to end the season if they are to take the Mets' spot in the postseason. The San Francisco Giants might have the best chance, as they are 7-3 over the last 10 games, and Rafael Devers is looking like the player the team expected to get when they traded for him. A fellow NL West team, the Arizona Diamondbacks, are trending the other way. They've lost three straight, and Lourdes Gurriel recently suffered a season-ending ACL tear. The Cincinnati Reds seem more likely to push the Mets for the final Wild Card spot than the St. Louis Cardinals.
All but eliminated from NL contention
Miami Marlins, 66-79
Atlanta Braves, 65-80
Pittsburgh Pirates, 64-81
Washington Nationals, 60-84
Colorado Rockies, 40-105
The Colorado Rockies aren't fully in the clear of avoiding the Chicago White Sox's record for the most losses in a single season in the modern era. Just one more victory would ensure they don't break the record that seemed inevitable for much of the season. Still, their 40 wins are 20 fewer than the next-worst team in the NL.
None of the Washington Nationals, Pittsburgh Pirates, Atlanta Braves, or Miami Marlins will want to remember this season, though. The Braves, in particular, have been arguably the biggest disappointment in baseball this year. They were expected to contend for the World Series coming into the year.
