The Chicago Cubs have a strong advantage in the National League wild card race, holding a big lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres with just 18 games remaining in the regular season.
Still, the road ahead for the Cubs will be challenging, and that road will start with a big three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers beginning Monday afternoon at American Family Field in Wisconsin.
Here are the current NL Central standings:
Milwaukee Brewers 88-56
Chicago Cubs 81-63 (7 GB)
Here are the current NL Wild Card standings:
Chicago Cubs 81-63
Philadelphia Phillies 80-63
Arizona Diamondbacks 76-68
San Diego Padres 75-68 (0.5 GB)
Miami Marlins 72-72 (4 GB)
St. Louis Cardinals 72-72 (4 GB)
What is the Cubs’ Magic Number?
As things stand entering action on Monday, the Cubs’ magic number to clinch a playoff spot in the National League stands at 13.
Normally the magic number is calculated by combining the number of wins a team has and the losses the team chasing them has, and then subtracting that number by 163. Since the Cubs hold tiebreakers over both the Diamondbacks and Padres, they would reach the playoffs even if they tied either of those teams, so the magic number is lowered by one for that reason.
What it Means for the Cubs
If the season were to end today, the Cubs would host the Philadelphia Phillies at Wrigley Field for a best-of-three series to kick off the National League playoffs. The Arizona Diamondbacks meanwhile would have the other wild card slot, and would face the Atlanta Braves, the winners of the National League Central.
The Chicago White Sox are looking to make history this season, and they took another step with their win over the Minnesota Twins Sunday.
According to MLB.com’s Sarah Langs, the White Sox have already made some history, becoming the first team in MLB history to win more than 70 games after three consecutive seasons of 100 losses or more.
Now, the White Sox are looking to achieve another bit of history: to become the first team in MLB history to make the playoffs after consecutive 100-loss seasons, and the first team to win its division after a 100-loss season, according to Langs.
Here are the American League Central standings entering Labor Day:
Chicago White Sox 75-68
Cleveland Guardians 73-71 (2.5 GB)
What is Chicago’s magic number?
After their win Sunday over the Minnesota Twins at Rate Field, Chicago’s magic number to clinch the American League Central stands at 17 with 19 games to go in the regular season.
What else is at stake for the White Sox?
In addition to a playoff spot, the White Sox still have a golden opportunity to secure a bye into the Division Series round of the postseason.
That’s because they possess a 2.5-game lead over the Houston Astros for the second-best record among division leaders in the American League, and if they can maintain that lead, they would bypass the wild card round of the playoffs and host the first two games of the best-of-five American League Division Series.
One thing worth noting in this race: the White Sox lost five of their seven games against the Astros during the regular season, meaning if they were to finish tied in the standings Houston would win the tiebreaker for that bye.
