The stage is set for one epic finish in the National League. The Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants and Washington Nationals, all playoff-quality teams, are locked in a deep battle for the two wild-card spots in the National League. The main question now is: who among these wild-card hopefuls will storm ahead in this race to the postseason?
Read on below as we take an in-depth look at this fascinating National League Wild Card race. While you’re at it, you can also check out our American League Wild Card preview.
[sc:MLBArticles ]2015 NL Wild Card Race Preview
Pittsburgh Pirates (62-44)
World Series Odds: +1,500
Lording it over at the top of the wild card standings are the Pittsburgh Pirates. With their win against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday, the Pirates improved their major-league record to 62-44. They are now 3.5 games clear of the aforementioned Cubs for that first wild card spot in the National League. They may have the lead for now, but their place in the postseason isn’t safe by any means at all.
[sc:MLB240banner ]Complicating things for the Bucs in this final stretch run was the untimely injury suffered by A.J. Burnett. The veteran righty will be out for at least the next four weeks after being diagnosed with a flexor strain in his right elbow. That’s a bitter blow to a Pirates rotation that is ranked fifth in the majors in starter ERA with a 3.39 average. Burnett is 8-5 with a 3.06 ERA this season. Burnett’s injury comes at a time when the Bucs will embark on a tough 16-game stretch. The Pirates will face the Dodgers, Cardinals, Mets, D-Backs and Giants during this span.
Chicago Cubs (59-48)
World Series Odds: +1,400
It has been 107 years since the Chicago Cubs last won the World Series. Heck, it has been seven years since the Cubs last appeared in the postseason. That could all change this year with the Cubs embarking on a memorable run in this year’s campaign. The Cubs stormed past the Giants in the race for the National League’s second Wild Card following their thrilling 5-4 victory against San Francisco on Thursday. It has been an incredible turnaround for the Cubs, who combined to go 118 games below .500 the past five seasons.
Leading the way for the Cubs this year are Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant. Rizzo leads the team in homers (21), RBIs (63) and on-base percentage (.405) this season. Bryant isn’t that far behind with 14 homers, 61 RBIs and a .355 OBP this year. They will need to be at their best, though, for the Cubs’ final stretch run. According to PlayoffStatus.com, they have the seventh toughest remaining schedule in the National League this season.
San Francisco Giants (59-49)
World Series Odds: +1,000
The Giants may just be half a game behind the Cubs for the final wild card spot in the National League, but that could all change in an instant with San Francisco set to begin a hellish 25-game stretch. The Giants will play all of those games against teams that currently have winning records. This includes six games against the Cubs, six against the Cardinals and four against the Pirates.
If the Giants can somehow hold the fort during this tough stretch, then San Francisco stands a good chance of defending its crown this postseason. 22 of their final 25 games come against teams that currently sit below .500.
Washington Nationals (56-51)
World Series Odds: +900
It’s quite astonishing to see the mighty Washington Nationals in this position right now. The Nats have struggled since the All-Star break, losing 12 of their last 20 games. As a result of their poor form, the Nationals have ceded first place in the NL East to the streaking New York Mets. To make matters worse for Washington, the Nats are now three games back in the wild-card chase.
For the Nats to salvage this once-promising season, they will need to get their acts together on the offensive end. They have scored just 73 runs after the All-Star break, eighth-worst in the entire majors. The onus is on Bryce Harper to carry the scoring load for Washington. He leads the team in homers (29), RBIs (68), walks (79) and on-base percentage (.461) this season. However, he’s 8-for-25 in his last seven games with no homers and no RBIs.
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