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There are four days remaining in MLB's 2018 regular season, and the National League is not about to settle. Two divisions are up for grabs and the two Wild Card spots are still there for the prize. There is a chance that we can have several tiebreaker games for one or two days after Sunday, and it's not inconceivable that we have between three and six teams in the NL with the same record .
Here is how everything will be regulated.
Already there
The Atlanta Braves accelerated their recovery and escaped the pack in the East of the National League, winning the division on Sept. 22 with over a week to go.
Closing in
The Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs each have 91 victories in a fierce battle at the top of the Central League. Both may win a playoff spot with one more win or one loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Groceries
In addition to NL East, the other two divisions of the National League could be tied, that's how close they are.
NL Central
| Team | W-L | PCT | GB | Magic # | Elimination # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W-L | PCT | GB | Magic # | Elimination # |
| Cubs | 91-66 | 0.580 | — | 5 | 6 |
| brewers | 91-67 | 0.576 | ½ | 6 | 5 |
| cardinals | 87-71 | 0.551 | 4½ | ten | 1 |
What's left
- Cubs vs. Pirates Thursday, then Cubs vs. Cardinals at Wrigley Field this weekend
- Brewers vs. Tigers for three games in Milwaukee
If the Cubs and Brewers finish with the same record, a tiebreaker of a match will be held Monday at Wrigley Field, under the fact that Chicago has won 11 of the 19 games against Milwaukee.
There is only one scenario in which the Cubs, Brewers and Cardinals finish the regular season in a 3-team tie. This would imply nine games falling exactly in the right direction for these three players to end up with 91 wins each:
- Cardinals on the Brewers Wednesday
- Pirates on the Cubs Wednesday and Thursday
- The Cardinals sweep the Cubs this weekend
- Tigers sweep brewers this weekend
NL West ranking
| Team | W-L | PCT | GB | Magic # | Elimination # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W-L | PCT | GB | Magic # | Elimination # |
| Dodgers | 88-70 | 0.557 | — | 5 | 6 |
| Rockies | 87-70 | 0.554 | ½ | 6 | 5 |
What's left
If the Dodgers and the Rockies finish tied at the top of the division, a tie-break of a match will be held Monday at Dodger Stadium, thanks to the 12 wins of Los Angeles in 19 games against Colorado this season.
NL Wild Card Ranking
| Team | W-L | PCT | GB | Magic # | Elimination # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W-L | PCT | GB | Magic # | Elimination # |
| brewers | 91-67 | 0.576 | + 3½ | 1 | |
| Rockies | 87-70 | 0.554 | — | 5 | 6 |
| cardinals | 87-71 | 0.551 | ½ | 6 | 5 |
The battle here is probably just for second place Wild Card, with Rockies, Cardinals and Dodgers leading the division separated by just one match in the losses column.
If the Rocky or Dodgers play individually against the Cardinals, a tiebreaker game will be held Monday in St. Louis.
If the three Dodgers, Rockies and Cardinals were equal, that would require several tiebreakers for both NL West and the second Wild Card:
- Monday: The Rockies in Dodgers for the NL West
- Tuesday: Loser Rockies / Dodgers in St. Louis for second Wild Card spot
It would also require moving the Wild Card NL game from Tuesday to Wednesday, in this likely scenario in Milwaukee or Chicago. There is still a possibility for an even bigger cluster if the Brewers or the Cubs fail, but we'll deal with it as it happens.
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