Predicting how the Mets and other NL Wild Card teams finish the season

One weekend of the MLB season left along with a pair of asterisks scheduled for Monday. So much for starting every game at the same time on Sunday. Gamesmanship is at play when it comes to the NL Wild Card. The New York Mets, Atlanta Braves, and Arizona Diamondbacks can all get up to funny business if they choose based on the results elsewhere.

How does this season end? Let’s predict and see if Monday will even be necessary.

The Mets will take 2 out of 3 from the Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers already have the number three seed so winning isn’t imperative to them. They also don’t want to limp into the playoffs nor should we expect them to present the Mets with the easiest W. With the Mets throwing everything they have at Milwaukee, it’s a safe guess that they’ll win the series. But even the B-squad of Brewers players should be able to snatch away one win. The Mets take the series 2-1 and go into Monday with an 89-71 record.

The Braves will take 2 out of 3 from the Royals

The Kansas City Royals, fortunately, do have something to play for. An AL Wild Card spot is right there for them to take with a win. Beyond just clinching, they’ll need to overtake the Detroit Tigers who’ve managed to claw their way into the playoff picture at the right time. They go into Friday 85-74. They’ll give the Braves somewhat of a battle, but with Atlanta playing for much more, this will be another 2-1 series result without a broomstick in sight. Give the Braves the 2 wins and an 88-72 record going into Monday. 

The Diamondbacks will lose 2 out of 3 to the Padres

The San Diego Padres haven’t quite won the top NL Wild Card seed with the Mets trailing them by 3. The final regular season boss for the Diamondbacks, they’ll take 2 out of the 3 against Arizona. They’ll make it interesting, too, by allowing the Diamondbacks to win the first game. However, they’ll be too vicious in the next two games and finish 93-69 on the year. For the Diamondbacks, they’ll end up with an 89-73 record. Those games on Monday must happen.

The Mets play without any purpose on Monday

Only one game will be necessary on Monday and it’ll be all about the Braves whose 5-2 record against the Diamondbacks this year means they’ll only need one victory. Don’t settle into your seat too much, Braves fans. A couple of Mets players who weren’t on the roster the day before are there with Eddy Alvarez leading off and Joey Lucchesi asked to pitch as many innings as possible. The Mets lose a closer game than expected, but the Braves victory in the first game ties them with Arizona’s 89 wins making the second game null with the exception of seeding. New York and Atlanta opt not to play, awarding the Braves with a trip to San Diego (they own the tie-breaker over the Mets) and we head right back to Milwaukee where half the team was left. Environmental activists protest the game for the extra, unneeded flight the Mets had to take back to Atlanta citing humanity's use of fossil fuels as the reason for the hurricane in the first place. Greta Thunberg is invited to throw out the first pitch at a Mets game next year.