The MLB regular season is coming to an end, and the playoff races are ramping up in the National League and American League. In the NL Wild Card race, the Philadelphia Phillies hold down the top spot, with an 89-69 record thus far, as they have clinched a playoff berth.
The other team that currently has a spot in the NL Wild Card is the Arizona Diamondbacks, holding a two-game lead, with a record at 84-74. The Phillies hold the fourth-seed and would face off against the fifth-seed Diamondbacks.
The two teams tied for the last NL Wild Card spot are the Chicago Cubs and the Miami Marlins, with records at 82-76. There is little to no room for error for both teams, as they have had very impressive playoff pushes going into the end of the season.
If the regular season ended today, the sixth-seed Miami Marlins would play the NL Central division champions and third-seed Milwaukee Brewers.
The two teams eligible for the final spot are the Cincinnati Reds, who are 1.5 games back, and the San Diego Padres, who are 3.5 games back, have work to do, sitting outside of the MLB postseason currently.
The top team in the AL Wild Card race is no other than the very impressive Tampa Bay Rays, with a commanding 10-game lead, as well as a playoff berth also being clinched. The Rays are three games away from their 100th win on the season, sitting at 97-62.
Another very interesting race in the AL with the Toronto Blue Jays would be the fifth-seed playing their AL East divisional rival and the potential fourth-seed Rays. The Houston Astros, if the season ended today, would land the sixth seed in the Wild Card and would play against the third-seed Minnesota Twins, who won the AL Central.
However, the Seattle Mariners are only 1.5 games back from the Astros. The Astros and Mariners recently had a three-game series, in which the Astros won two games to one at home, a very pivotal home stand to keep them at the 6th seed.
The Atlanta Braves have stayed steady on top of the league, as they have clinched the best league record of 102-56. This lands the Braves the No. 1 seed in the National League as well as a Wild Card bye.
The Braves have earned their top spot after multiple players etched their names in history recently. Matt Olson has officially set a new franchise single-season homerun record, passing Andruw Jones after launching his 53rd homerun against the Washington Nationals.
Ronald Acuña Jr. created his own club after swiping his 70th stolen base of the year, making him the only player in MLB history to hit 40 home runs and claim 70 stolen bases, against the Chicago Cubs on Sept. 27.
The Braves hit the 300-home run mark after a Kevin Pillar solo home run in the series opener versus the Chicago Cubs. This makes them the third team in history to hit the 300-home run mark, as they are only 4 home runs away from tying the record set by the 2019 Minnesota Twins, with 307 home runs.
The Braves will play the winner of the Phillies’ and Diamondbacks’ three-game Wild Card series. If the Braves run into the Phillies again, they will be playing with a chip on their shoulder after a disappointing 3-1 loss in the NL Divisional Series to them.
“The Phillies are a contending team, but I’m still confident in the Braves because the Phillies aren’t consistent enough,” said Jack Poor, a freshman management major. “The Braves also have six All-Stars, and that is not even including their ace, Max Fried, who was injured a majority of the season.”
Some new faces will be in the 2023 postseason this year, as a potential new force of the AL East has entered their name at the top spot of their division. The 99-59 Baltimore Orioles have been the rave, as the rebuilding years are finally over for Orioles fans, and new faces are putting the league on notice.
“This young core, along with Cedric Mullins, Adley Rutcshman and Gunnar Henderson, has opened the door for the Orioles to have a long-lasting young team,” said William Scott, a sophomore marketing major.
The Orioles have not seen the playoffs since 2017 and look to get the top seed in the AL.
The Texas Rangers are currently 2.5 games up in the tight AL West race. This is a breakout year for the franchise, as they have not been to the MLB postseason since 2016.
The Rangers have been a top slugging team in the league this year, paired with a strong starting pitching rotation, making it a recipe for success in Arlington.
The 2023 postseason run is keeping MLB fans on the edge of their seats. Each team in the Wild Card race could be just one cold stretch away from sitting outside of the postseason.
