Potential Playoff Outcomes for Mets vs. Braves Series
As has been true before, once again, the Mets’ playoff fate lies in the hands of a series in Atlanta. However, unlike 2022, things are different this time. Rather than fighting for NL East rights, the Mets and Braves fight for their spot in October baseball. The Mets enter the three-game set coming off a series win against the Philadelphia Phillies, who are just one win away from clinching the NL East. The Mets, however, had different plans and played party poopers. The Braves, meanwhile, come off a highly contested series in Miami where they won 2-1, but each win, and loss, was hard-fought.
The Mets enter Atlanta two games ahead of the Braves for the final Wild Card spot. As of Monday morning, the Padres hold a three-game lead for the top seed in the Wild Card, while the Diamondbacks and Mets are tied for the second spot.
That said, this three-game series in Atlanta can very well decide the playoff fates of both the Mets and Braves. However, after winning against the Phillies on Sunday, here are a few potential playoff outcomes for the Mets as they prepare for a season-defining battle.
To Clinch a Playoff Berth in Atlanta…
The Mets can punch their ticket to October and claim a playoff berth in Atlanta with a series win. It’s as simple as that. If they take two out of three games, they are in. The season series is also tied at five apiece in case of a tiebreaker, so if the Mets win the series, they hold the tiebreaker over the Braves (but more on that later!).
To Remain in Control of Their Destiny…
For some reason, if the Mets only manage one win in Atlanta, they aren’t out of it yet. Their fate can still be decided with a series win in Milwaukee. However, they would need a single win in Atlanta for this to happen.
If All Else Fails…
Things get a bit more complicated if they are swept in Atlanta. Then they would be relying on other Wild Card teams to lose and they no longer remain the captains commandeering their ship.
Tiebreakers!
The Mets scored key series wins with the Diamondbacks and Padres – conveniently, the other two teams with Wild Card berths if the season ended today. For an example of how the tiebreaker works, if the Mets and Diamondbacks were tied for the final berth in the Wild Card race (as they finished with an identical record), the Mets would win the tiebreaker because they won the season series.
While a series win would equate to a postseason berth in Atlanta, a series loss would give Atlanta the tiebreaker advantage in this scenario.
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