The New York Mets and Atlanta Braves are playing a doubleheader on Monday for playoff positioning. Their original games were scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday of this past week but were postponed because of Hurricane Helene. Each team just needs one win to lock up their spot. Mets designated hitter JD Martinez told Rich Rovito of AP that the two-game Monday is unfair as the playoffs approach.

“I wish MLB would push the playoffs back a little bit. I think it’s an unfair advantage to the team we’re going to play,” the Mets veteran said. “We know what’s on the line and are going to scratch to win those games and then have to turn around and get on a flight after. It’s going to be a tough task. We’ve just got to suck it up and find a way to get through it.”

The Mets and Braves are the only games on the schedule for Monday. The rest of the league is either done with their season or resting up for the playoffs. That includes the Padres and Brewers, who would be the possible opponents for the team that clinches.

Mets must move past “unfair” claims

New York Mets designated hitter JD Martinez (28) hits a fly ball against the Philadelphia Phillies during the third inning at Citizens Bank Park.
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While there is certainly a rest advantage for the host teams, the Mets could have rendered these games meaningless. They lost the first two games of their season-ending series against the Brewers this weekend. They only needed one of those games to flip their way to clinch a spot in the postseason.

The Mets will either head back to Milwaukee or out to San Diego. If they split the doubleheader, the Braves will be the other team and the Mets will face the Padres. If the Mets sweep the Braves, New York will face the Brewers and the Diamondbacks will face the Padres. The only thing that they cannot do is lose both games, as that is how they will miss the postseason.

It is in the Mets' best interest to get the job done in game one. They will face Spencer Schwellenbach, who has dominated them so far this year. In two starts, he has pitched 14 innings and allowed one run on five hits. If they struggle against him again, they'll face Chris Sale, who is 18-3 this season.

Fangraphs gives the Mets a 67.2% chance of winning one of these two games. While they will likely lose the pitching matchup on paper, it will take only one great performance to get them into the postseason.