The New York Mets have been one of the best teams in baseball recently, which has vastly improved their playoff chances.
Just a few weeks ago, most people were talking about the New York Mets being sellers at the trade deadline because of their underperforming record. But, fast forward just a week after the deadline and you’ll see the Mets right back in the race for one of the two Wild Card spots in the NL.
According to FanGraphs, the Mets currently have the second-best odds to make the playoffs among teams chasing a Wild Card spot. At 37.3%, the Mets are just 2.4% above the third-place St. Louis Cardinals. The Mets are also currently just 1.5 games back of the second Wild Card spot held by the Philadelphia Phillies.
However, the Mets have a very tough schedule during the rest of the season. They’re tied for the fifth-hardest remaining schedule among teams in the Wild Card chase.
The #Mets have fought back into the WC race beating up on lesser teams. In order to play in October they will need to beat the better teams. 34 of remaining 48 games are against teams with record over .500. This season they are 28-40 vs teams with such a record.
— Steve Phillips (@StevePhillipsGM) August 7, 2019
What makes things even harder for the Mets is that the majority of the teams they’re competing against for a playoff spot have an easier schedule than them. The Cardinals, Washington Nationals and Milwaukee Brewers all have an easier remaining schedule than the Mets.
As early as this weekend, the Mets will be tested by tougher opponents. The Mets next two series come against the Nationals and Atlanta Braves. They will also have to find a way to win on the road as well. A six-game road trip begins in Atlanta on Tuesday.
Being successful away from Citi Field has been tough at times for the Mets this season. They currently own a 27-36 record on the road. This is in stark contrast to their impressive 31-20 record coming at home this season. However, the Mets have just 18 of their remaining 48 games coming on the road.
Which means that if the Mets can play well at home against these tougher opponents, they could sneak into the NL Wild Card Game.
