NL Wild Card Race: Braves Have Secret Weapon to Secure Playoff Spot

Atlanta Braves fans are familiar with their team’s challenging position this season. After a lacklustre offensive performance against the Reds on Monday, the Braves found themselves again outside the NL wild card race, with the Mets suddenly refusing to lose. If this season has shown anything, the battle for the final wild card spots will likely come down to the last games.
Considering the massive number of injuries the Braves have endured in 2024, it’s impressive that they remain in the playoff race. Their offence and defence have been hit hard by losing key players, yet Atlanta continues to fight for a postseason spot. Despite a lineup reminiscent of their rebuilding years, the Braves stay competitive thanks to a few crucial strengths.

NL Wild Card Race Standings: Braves’ Pitching and Schedule Provide Key Advantage in Final Stretch

NL Wild Card Race: Braves Have Secret Weapon to Secure Playoff Spot — Image By: 3-port.si

For Braves fans used to win the division year after year, pinning hopes on a wild card spot could be better. Expecting the Phillies to lose their eight-game lead over Atlanta seems unrealistic. However, there’s a glimmer of optimism when analyzing the current wild card standings (as of September 10) alongside the remaining schedules for the competing teams.

NL Wild Card Standings

	Games Back	Strength of Schedule
Padres	+1.5	.518
Diamondbacks	+1.0	.497
Mets	–	.517
Braves	1.0	.491
Cubs	5.0	.472
Cardinals	6.5	.474

Among the teams with a realistic chance at a wild card spot, the Cubs and Cardinals have the most manageable schedule for 2024. However, they face a significant gap to close, and even if they meet the expectations set by their favourable schedule, they’re still likely to come up short. For either of them to make the playoffs, it would take a huge winning streak and a collapse from a few teams ahead of them in the standings.

The Braves are among the wild card contenders within 2.5 games of each other, and they have the most favourable schedule of the group. While series against the Dodgers, Royals, and especially the Mets present challenges, matchups against teams like the Nationals, Reds, and Marlins offer a real chance for Atlanta to close the gap.
This is crucial because, despite the offensive struggles, the Braves pitching rotation remains a strong point, led by Cy Young’s favourite Chris Sale. Against weaker teams, this strength becomes even more valuable, as the Braves likely won’t need much offensive production to win those games.
Of course, the Braves must execute well down the stretch for any of this to matter. Winning the series against the Mets to claim the tiebreaker would be especially helpful. Nonetheless, Atlanta has a clear path to the postseason — it’s just a matter of seizing it.