Despite losing two key pieces of their lineup in recent days, the Philadelphia Phillies (85-60) are charging headfirst toward the postseason. Following their 9-3 victory over the New York Mets (76-69) Tuesday evening, the Phillies now hold a nine-game lead over the Mets in the National League East with only 17 games remaining.
With the hunt for Red October in full swing, magic number watching has once again become a key storyline. For Philadelphia, there are three magic numbers to monitor: clinching a playoff berth, securing the NL East crown, and earning a first-round bye in the postseason.
Magic number watch
Clinching a playoff berth is the first domino to fall. The team of interest as of today is the San Francisco Giants (74-71). The Giants are 4-3 against the Phillies this season, meaning San Francisco would own the season-series tiebreaker if needed. That, however, is unlikely to come into play as Philadelphia’s magic number is already down to seven against them.
Should the Phillies secure a playoff spot, it will mark their fourth consecutive postseason appearance dating back to 2022.
To clinch the NL East, the battle begins and ends with the Mets. Since New York owns the season-series tiebreaker, Philadelphia must finish with a better overall record to lock down the division for the second straight year. With 17 games left, the Phillies need a combination of nine wins and Mets losses to secure the title. If Philadelphia takes the final two games of the current series against New York, the number could drop as low as five heading into their set with the Kansas City Royals.
After that, the Phillies will head west for an important series against the Los Angeles Dodgers (81-64). As the NL West leaders, the Dodgers are Philadelphia’s primary competition for the National League’s No. 2 seed—and the accompanying bye through the Wild Card Series. With a four-game cushion, the Phillies’ magic number for the second seed currently stands at 14.
The Dodgers, after a strong first half, have struggled down the stretch, going just 23-25 in the second half. Both the “best team deferred money can buy” and the Phillies’ “stupid money” roster are playing second fiddle to the $115 million payroll of the Milwaukee Brewers (89-57). Milwaukee, with a 3.5-game lead over the Phillies, currently sits as the frontrunner for the NL’s top seed.
The Phillies' final stretch
With 17 games remaining, the Phillies continue their four-game set against the Mets on Wednesday evening. After the series against the Royals and Dodgers, they’ll wrap up their road trip against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Upon returning home, they’ll close the regular season with six games against the Miami Marlins and Minnesota Twins.
