The National League has some talented teams looking to make noise in the postseason, but who holds playoff spots?
Here’s what the National League playoff picture would look like if the postseason started today.
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National League| No. 1 – Atlanta Braves (78-42) | First-Round Bye |
| No. 2 – Los Angeles Dodgers (74-46) | First-Round Bye |
| No. 3 – Milwaukee Brewers (65-57) | No. 5 – San Francisco Giants (64-57) |
| No. 4 – Philadelphia Phillies (66-55) | No. 6 – Chicago Cubs (62-58) |
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The National League has been compelling to watch in 2023. The Atlanta Braves and New York Mets were expected to be World Series contenders, but only the Braves have performed to that standard. The league’s best teams have established themselves in this race, while the pretenders have fallen back, with the midway point of the year having come and gone and the stretch run looming.
Despite the Atlanta Braves continuing to lead the National League, they aren’t the team most driving headlines on August 18. The Los Angeles Dodgers have extended their lead on top of the NL West and won eleven straight games, cutting the Braves deficit atop the NL to just four games. The Dodgers’ incredible run has overshadowed the Braves’ three-game win streak and eight of their last ten. Regardless, these clubs have separated themselves from the pack in the National League in odds and standing.
With three straight losses, the Milwaukee Brewers have seen their lead atop the NL Central shrink. They sit two games clear of the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs, but this is a race to watch. The Cubs trail the Brewers for the NL Central lead but are hanging on by a thread to the final wild-card spot after running off six victories over their last ten games.
The other two teams in the National League occupying wild-card spots are the Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants. The Phillies have won six of their last ten games, while the Giants are struggling and dropped seven of their last ten.
