NL Wild Card Standings: Mets win helped them gain more than the second seed

Sole possession of the second NL Wild Card spot thanks to a tie-breaker over the Arizona Diamondbacks. It’s where the New York Mets stand tall today. Another win over the Washington Nationals along with a pair of losses for the Diamondbacks and Atlanta Braves has given the Mets more than we’ve even asked for.

Heading into this week, the Mets had little margin for error. The Braves were dealing with the Cincinnati Reds and right there behind the Mets—still are. The Diamondbacks had an easy stretch, too. Despite being the road team, playing the Colorado Rockies always has its perks.

We’re at hump day and things couldn’t have gone any better. The Mets, after an infuriating finish to their weekend, actually have some space to have a bad day or two.

The Mets are winning while the Braves and Diamondbacks are handing away winnable games

We won’t get greedy and ask the Mets to catch the San Diego Padres. No. We just want to get into the postseason. They, for what it’s worth, lost as well on Tuesday. Dealing with the Houston Astros this week was bound to put a dent in their lead. They still sit 2.5 up on the Mets and Diamondbacks.

By taking care of their business, the Mets have set themselves up for a more even footing with the Diamondbacks and have forced the Braves to win just about every game. The Mets schedule is difficult after they play game three against the Nationals. However, playing host to the Philadelphia Phillies gives them a good chance of at least splitting. Then comes the monster series against the Braves where they can be the ones to put Atlanta away for good.

Arizona, like New York, is in their final weak point of the schedule. They do get to play the San Francisco Giants but they are no slouch. Four against the Milwaukee Brewers plus three against the Padres will be a huge challenge.

Atlanta’s schedule suddenly looks a bit more difficult. After the Reds two more times, they play the Miami Marlins over the weekend before hosting the Mets. They finish against the Kansas City Royals who’ll be a difficult opponent. Can we get a Seth Lugo start in one of those games for a “remember me?” outing?

If the assumption now comes down to each team winning games they should, the Mets are in a perfect position. That’s because the Braves and Diamondbacks are losing in the easy part of what’s left. It has given the Mets room to move up and space to have a bad night.