Buckle Up: five ridiculous NL Wild Card scenarios

This season a number of teams are in on the NL Wild Card race. In honor of this, let’s look at five ridiculous, yet possible scenarios.

Can ya smell it?  Breathe it in…. ahh yes, it’s September baseball.  This is a particularly stressful time of the season, especially this year if you’re in Milwaukee, New York, Washington, Chicago, Philadelphia, Arizona…. ya know, pretty much in the NL Wild Card race in general.

Sure, the divisional race in the Central is airtight, and the East could be up for grabs if the Nationals can stay hot.  The West… eh, we’ll skip that for now.

The real drama, in the senior circuit though, is in the NL Wild Card race.  As of the time of this writing, there is about a month to play, and 6 teams within 10 games of the second Wild Card spot, and a ticket to the postseason dance.  Do 10 games sound like a lot to make up in a month?  It is.  Is it impossible though?  Stranger things have happened.  In fact, just ask the…

1. 2011 Atlanta Braves
2. 1978 Boston Red Sox
3. 2007 New York Mets

And so on, and so on…. the point is, that there’s a precedent for teams to give a lot of ground as the season winds down, and when those middle-contending teams smell blood, they pounce.  So why not?  Let’s look at a couple of just obnoxious possibilities that could take place in the next month and put some interesting matchups in the one-game playoff.  Just don’t google this article after October…

For the sake of this little exercise, let’s assume that the NL East and NL West races settle as they stand now, with Atlanta and Los Angeles not factoring into this race.  The NL Central is tight enough that we’ll keep that one up for grabs.

Ridiculous NL Wild Card Scenarios

The Mets Rotation Locks In, the Nationals Flame Out

I think when the dust settles on this season, general manager Brodie Van Wagenen is either going to come out looking like a genius or probably the easiest fall guy in New York Mets history for another failed season.

Could he have been right this whole time though?  Could holding onto Zack Wheeler and Noah Syndergaard have been the right moves all along?

Could trading away Jason Vargas for chump change and then handing over prospects to the Toronto Blue Jays for Marcus Stroman actually be a stroke of genius from an inexperienced GM.

When you think about it, it’s not that far fetched to think that the stars align and that star-studded starting rotation strings together a few deep starts, and a competent lineup can back them up along the way.

On the other end of that equation, the Washington Nationals are white-hot right now, but with a shaky Max Scherzer, and an injury-prone Stephen Strasburg, and a bullpen that has gone from a total disaster to just really bad, things could turn in a hurry.

Wild Card Matchup:  Chicago Cubs vs. New York Mets

Ridiculous NL Wild Card Scenarios

The D-Backs Bite Back, The Cubs Hibernate

The Arizona Diamondbacks have pushed all the “rebuilding” buttons this year.  It started with trading Paul Goldschmidt in the offseason for a group of decent-upside players and avoiding his final-year price tag.

Then at the deadline, they send ace Zack Grienke to the mighty Houston Astros.  Sitting in a division that seems owned by the Los Angeles Dodgers, there was every reason for the snakes to pack it up for 2019.

Yet… Here we are.  Sitting just four games back from the coveted second Wild Card spot, the best defensive team in baseball could actually make some waves as we approach the pennant race.  Their current odds sit at an abysmal 3.3% to make the postseason, but hey, I said these were going to be ridiculous right?

Let’s just say that whoever has inhabited Ketel Marte‘s body (because he’s so ridiculously good this year there’s no way that’s actually him) continues to hit at a “near MVP consideration” level.  Let’s just say Robby Ray continues to remember what the strike zone is.  Let’s ALSO pretend that the Chicago Cubs pitching woes continue, and their bats go silent as the year winds down (which is a real possibility)… Watch out for the Arizona Diamondacks.

Wild Card Matchup:  Diamondbacks at Nationals

Ridiculous NL Wild Card Scenarios

The Reds go on a tear, start playing like the numbers say

Ok, ok, hear me out on this.  The Cincinnati Reds are having one of the weirdest seasons in a while.  They sit at a mediocre (at best) 63-70 record, which puts them in the company of the San Diego Padres (62-71) and the San Francisco Giants (65-68).  That’s not great.

That being said, they’re sitting on a +14 run differential, which puts them ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers (-39) and the Philadelphia Phillies (-8).  They’re expected Win/Loss record is 68-65, which would put them in a tie with the Brewers, and just 4 games back of the second Wild Card spot.

So, let’s just say that whole “equal and opposite Reaction” thing bears out here, and they start OVER achieving?  You may just have yourself a playoff team.

Of course, Joey Votto and Jesse Winker gotta start ya know… hitting.  The Reds pitching staff has been surprisingly good considering where they play, but they’d have to keep that up if they’re going to make a run at this… I mean… it’s possible, right?  Hey, if I’m wrong, then just have Goose Gossage call me a nerd or something.  I’d probably deserve it.

Wild Card Matchup:  Reds at Phillies

Ridiculous NL Wild Card Scenarios

Numbers two and four Happen at the same time, and everyone hates it.

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Let’s just burn the whole thing to the ground, and watch the most hilarious September ever.  Let’s just run it down really quickly:  Just imagine, the Washington Nationals lose Max Scherzer again to his back problems, Stephen Strasburg gets shut down with a shoulder issue.

Suddenly the Nats are falling apart thanks to their leaky bullpen.  The Chicago Cubs run out of steam, Kris Bryant goes ice cold as the season ends.  The Milwaukee Brewers bullpen starts to crack due to overuse, and the Philadelphia Phillies can’t seem to get out of their own way.

That leaves us with… The Arizona Diamondbacks and the Cincinnati Reds.  Scenario’s two and four play out, and suddenly, you have probably the most exciting, yet least marketable NL Wild Card game in history, between two teams whos’ fanbases may or may not have already thrown in the towel on this season months ago!

Tell me that wouldn’t be just awesome.  That commentary, by the way, is by no means a slight against Arizona or Cincinnati, but I think they know that.  It would be historic and hilarious all at the same time..

Wild Card Matchup:  Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Cincinnati Reds

I TOLD you this was ridiculous.