NL Wild Card Standings: Mets suddenly have more than the Braves to worry about

Another shutout loss for the New York Mets on Saturday and an Atlanta Braves win in Colorado had the two clubs swapping places in the NL Wild Card standings. Here’s where we sit on the morning of 8/11/2024:

San Diego Padres 66-52 +4
Arizona Diamondbacks 65-53 +3
Atlanta Braves 61-55
New York Mets 61-56 0.5GB
San Francisco Giants 1.5GB

Wait, what? Record scratch. Double-take. A slow-motion jaw drop.

The San Francisco Giants apparently got it right at the trade deadline. An 8-2 record in their last 10 and four-game winning streak has made them as relevant as anyone in the NL Wild Card standings.

Why the Mets need to worry about other teams behind them

The St. Louis Cardinals haven’t faded yet either at only 2 games out and the Chicago Cubs are trying their best to join as well. They’ve matched the Giants’ 8-2 record and 4 wins in a row. The Mets schedule won’t do them many favors. Their remaining schedule includes a combined .499 winning percentage which is worse than several other teams vying for a Wild Card spot. Even the Philadelphia Phillies who got criticized for an easy schedule earlier on have what appears to be a softer remaining schedule.

The Giants have played well but with 6 more against the Padres and Diamondbacks each, we’ll have to cross our fingers that those two can put them away. The Giants do have a tougher schedule with a combined .508 winning percentage left. The Cardinals have one of the toughest roads ahead with a .523 winning percentage on tap.

Who should the Mets worry about? The Cubs have the fourth-easiest schedule with a combined .483 winning percentage. They haven’t even faced the Washington Nationals this year. The Padres have it easier, too, with a combined winning percentage of .486 left to play.

What makes the Cubs scary is their starting pitching. Four starters have made 19 or more appearances and own an ERA of 3.50 or under. Ravaged by injuries and a little too light at the plate, they are a big concern if they can ever get going on a consistent basis. This was a team that bought and sold at the deadline. 

This is no longer a fight with just the Braves. More tough customers are coming and the Mets better start swinging the bats better. Otherwise, expect a neck injury from all of the looking up at the standings we’ll be doing by the end of the month.