Updated
Updated · USA TODAY · Aug 31
Phillies Face MLB's Toughest Wild Card Stretch at .547 as Cubs, Orioles Also Draw Brutal Slates
Updated
Updated · USA TODAY · Aug 31

Phillies Face MLB's Toughest Wild Card Stretch at .547 as Cubs, Orioles Also Draw Brutal Slates

3 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Aug 31

Summary

  • Philadelphia’s remaining opponents carry a .547 winning percentage, the hardest schedule among MLB teams in a Wild Card spot or within five games as of Aug. 30.
  • That gauntlet includes the NL East-leading Braves, the Brewers and the AL East-leading Rays, with the Phillies already five games behind Atlanta in the division race.
  • Chicago is next at .546, with two series against division-leading Milwaukee plus two against Wild Card-chasing Miami before closing against Boston; the Cubs sit eight games back in the NL Central.
  • Baltimore has the toughest AL path at .507 and is one game out of a Wild Card spot, with Boston, Cleveland, Toronto, Milwaukee and the Yankees left.
  • Seattle, five games out, has the softest closing slate by far, facing only Boston and Houston among teams currently above .500.

Insights

Could facing the toughest remaining schedules actually make the Phillies and Cubs more battle-tested for a deep October run?
How heavily will crucial late-season tiebreakers overshadow raw schedule strength in deciding the chaotic American League Wild Card race?
Will the Orioles' brutal final stretch completely derail their playoff hopes, or can they defy their grim postseason projections?