NL Wild Card Update: Mets Clinging to Slim Lead

The Mets have done everything in their power to give up their long-held claim on a playoff spot. Lucky for them, no other team has been able to grab it. At least not yet.

Despite an eight-game losing streak, followed by two wins and a loss, the Mets are still in pole position for the third Wild Card spot thanks to spotty play by their competition. With ten games remaining, New York leads the Arizona Diamondbacks by 1.5 games, the Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants by two games each, and the St. Louis Cardinals by 4.5 games.

Leading the Wild Card pack are the Chicago Cubs, who have a 10-game cushion, and the San Diego Padres, who are five ahead of the Mets after beating them on Wednesday.

Records over the last ten games tell the story of mediocrity in the race to unseat the Mets. Arizona rode a four-game winning streak to vault the Giants and Reds, but lost to the Giants on Wednesday and is just 5-5. The Giants’ win snapped their four-game losing streak, but they’re just 4-6. The Reds beat the Cardinals on Wednesday, but they’re just 5-5. And the Cardinals, with the loss, fell to 3-7.

None of that would scare Mets fans if the Mets weren’t playing even worse baseball than the teams chasing them.

“We’ve got to win every single day,” said Brett Baty after the Mets’ 8-3 win over the Padres on Tuesday. “We had a tough stretch there in Philly…but we come home, and I just thought we should try to win every single night.”

Let’s take a look at how likely that might be based on the Mets’ remaining schedule, as well as that of the teams nipping at their heels.

New York Mets (78-74)

The Mets wrap up their series with the Padres on Thursday afternoon before hosting the last-place Washington Nationals. New York then hits the road for their final six games, including three against the Cubs, who have already clinched a playoff spot. They end the season against the Marlins, who historically thrive on playing the spoiler role against the Mets.

Remaining Schedule

Home – San Diego (1), Washington (3)

Away – Cubs (3), Miami (3)

Arizona Diamondbacks (77-76) -1.5

Arizona has the toughest remaining schedule of the bunch, at least on paper. They welcome the Phillies and Dodgers to the desert before a three-game set in San Diego to finish the season.

Remaining Schedule

Home – Philadelphia (3), Dodgers (3)

Away – San Diego (3)

Cincinnati Reds (76-76) -2

Timing might work in the Reds’ favor despite two tough series against the Cubs and Brewers, as both teams have already punched their postseason tickets. Sandwiched between those games is a three-game set against the last-place Pittsburgh Pirates.

Remaining Schedule

Home – Cubs (4), Pittsburgh (3)

Away – Brewers (3)

San Francisco Giants (76-76) -2

The Giants head to Los Angeles for a pivotal four-game series against the rival Dodgers. San Francisco then hosts the Cardinals for three games and the Rockies for their last three.

Home – St. Louis (3), Colorado (3)

Away – Dodgers (4)