NL Wild Card Standings: Who do the NY Mets, Reds, Diamondbacks play next?

If you’re a New York Mets fan, you’re gritty your teeth hoping the pain subsides. Cincinnati Reds followers are shaking their fists with equal intensity with a little more positive outlook as they seemed out of the NL Wild Card standings not all that long ago. Then we have rooters of the Arizona Diamondbacks who are just thrilled to be here.

The Mets are one game up on both clubs but also technically not. The Reds and Diamondbacks have the tie-breaker over the Mets individually with Cincinnati being the three-way champions. In essence, the Mets are in the lowest spot they can right now to earn a playoff berth.

After Thursday, these teams all face one final opponent. Who do they play and what have they done against them in 2025?

Mets play the Marlins

The Mets are 5-5 against the suddenly only slightly relevant Miami Marlins. They’ve gone 8-2 in their last 10 games. Regardless of whether they were playing well or not, they were bound to give the Mets fits. The three games take place in Miami. It’s feeling like every single one will matter.

Reds play the Brewers

This feels good for Mets fans unless the Milwaukee Brewers take a complete breather. They go into Thursday three games up on the Philadelphia Phillies for the best record in the National League. Because of roster limitations, Milwaukee can’t throw out a bunch of minor leaguers to play the Reds. They should, like the Pittsburgh Pirates thus far, give the Reds some sort of a fight. Cincinnati has gone 3-7 against Milwaukee this year. They finish on the road, too.

Diamondbacks play the Padres

Suddenly this feels like the greatest threat to the Mets. The Arizona Diamondbacks finish their season with three games on the road versus the San Diego Padres. A far more formidable opponent than what the Mets are up against in the Marlins, they also share a 5-5 record with their division rival. The Padres have a puncher’s chance at the NL West, but the trouble for Mets fans is they’d need added motivation with the Los Angeles Dodgers losing on Thursday to the Diamondbacks. What we should probably just root for is the more immediate loss.

No one would seem to have an easier final boss for the regular season than the Mets, but the two teams the Reds and Diamondbacks play have less to play for and more to gain by resting some of their better players. The Mets just need to win at this point. Easier said than done.