MLB: Who’s the Odd Man Out in the NL Wild Card Race?
By Matt Weyrich
The San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, and New York Mets are locked in a three-way tie for the two Wild Card spots. Which team misses out on the MLB postseason?
With eleven games left to play in the regular season, the MLB Wild Card race in the Senior Circuit is heating up more than it has all season. With all due respect to the Marlins and Pirates, who sit four and four-and-a-half games back, the National League boasts three contenders looking to make their way into the Wild Card game.
Entering play here on September 21st, the Giants, Cardinals, and Mets all sport identical 80-71 records. San Francisco, after leading the league in wins during the first half, has squandered their division lead by posting an NL-worst 23-28 record since the All-Star Break. The Cardinals have shown inconsistency all season due to shaky pitching from the back-end of their rotation. Over in New York, injuries have plagued the Mets’ season and may have made them a weaker playoff adversary for it, but the team is still finding ways to win.
Only two of these teams will be playing in the National League Wild Card Game on October 5th. While all three have shown the grit and resilience of a playoff contender, one of them is going to have to watch the game from their couch at home.
More from Call to the Pen
- Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
- Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
- Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
- Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
- 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals
The Cardinals are the hottest team right now, having won four straight. However, between now and the end of the season, St. Louis will face the Rockies (72-79) once, travel to the Chicago (96-55) for three, host the Reds (63-88) for four, and close out the season with a three-game set with the Pirates (75-75) at home. While the Rockies and Reds are certainly anything but playoff contenders, handling the division rival Cubs and Pirates will be no easy feat.
San Francisco, although stumbling towards the finish line, has a slightly easier schedule the rest of the way. They will play four games against the Dodgers (85-66), face the Padres (64-87) in San Diego for four, and host Colorado for three. While taking on the Rockies and Padres would normally be a blessing, Colorado took two-of-three against them earlier this month and San Diego has won six straight in head-to-head matchups.
While losing Jacob deGrom for the year is a big blow to an already-depleted roster, the Mets can at least take solace in the easy schedule they have ahead of them. New York will close out the season with one more game against the Braves (60-91), seven against the Phillies (68-83), and three in Miami to take on the Marlins (76-75). If the Mets can beat the teams they’re supposed to, then they could find themselves pulling ahead in this tight race.
Next: The Ten Biggest Pennant Race Collapses in MLB History
According to ESPN’s playoff projections, the Cardinals (63.9%), Giants (66.4%), and Mets (68.4%) all have fairly similar chances to make it to the postseason. New York, however, has by far the easiest schedule and St. Louis may finally be hitting their stride. Meanwhile, the Giants have slipped up time and time again, and they haven’t shown any signs of stopping any time soon. Cite even year magic all you want, but time may be running out for the Giants this season.