Where Miami Marlins stand in the National League wild card race with five days left
The Miami Marlins remain in the thick of a four-team race for the National League’s final two wild card spots into the playoffs with the MLB season in the final week.
Should the Marlins qualify for the postseason, it will be the first time since the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and the first time in a full season since winning the World Series in 2003.
Also in contention for those final two wild card spots: The Chicago Cubs, Arizona Diamondbacks and (to a lesser extent) the Cincinnati Reds. The three division champions have already been decided — the Atlanta Braves won the NL East, the Milwaukee Brewers the NL Central and Los Angeles Dodgers the NL West. The Philadelphia Phillies have secured one of the three wild card spots.
Here is where things stand through games played Tuesday for the Marlins and the rest of the teams still in contention for those two wild card spots.
What were the results from Tuesday’s games?
The Marlins’ series opener against the New York Mets was postponed due to “unplayable field conditions.” Miami will play a doubleheader Wednesday.
The Cubs lost 7-6 to the Braves.
The Diamondbacks beat the Chicago White Sox 15-4.
The Cincinnati Reds beat the Cleveland Guardians 11-7.
The current National League playoff standings
▪ NL East champion: Atlanta Braves (101-56)
▪ NL West champion: Los Angeles Dodgers (97-60)
▪ NL Central champion: Milwaukee Brewers (88-69)
▪ Wild Card 1: Philadelphia Phillies (88-69)
▪ Wild Card 2: Arizona Diamondbacks (83-74)
▪ Wild Card 3: Chicago Cubs (82-75)
▪ First team out: Miami Marlins (81-75), a half game behind the Cubs.
▪ Second team out: Cincinnati Reds (81-77), one game behind the Marlins and one-and-a-half games behind the Cubs.
The Miami Marlins’ remaining schedule
The Marlins have six games left in the regular season, three against the Mets (doubleheader Wednesday, 7:10 p.m. Thursday) and three at the Pittsburgh Pirates starting Friday.
As for the other teams in contention for wild card spots...
▪ The Cubs have five games left — two more games at the Braves and three at the Brewers.
▪ The Diamondbacks have five games left — two more games at the White Sox and three against the Houston Astros.
▪ The Reds have four games left — one more game at the Guardians and three at the St. Louis Cardinals.
How does Miami fare in tiebreaker scenarios?
The Marlins own the tiebreaker against all three teams.
Miami won the head-to-head series against both the Cubs and Diamondbacks, going 4-2 against each team this season.
The Marlins and Reds went 3-3 against each other this season, but Miami owns the second tiebreaker — intradivision record, or record against divisional opponents. The Marlins are 25-24 against the NL East with three games left against the Mets. The Reds are 20-29 against the NL Central with three games left against the Cardinals. No matter how Cincinnati does against St. Louis, its intradivision record will not surpass the Marlins’.
So, if the Marlins end up tied for a playoff spot with any of the three teams, Miami would make the playoffs.
