This season, the American League and National League postseason races are expected to be quite competitive. In fact, it’s hard to estimate the trade deadline since there are so many clubs still in the running. If more than fifteen teams are trying to compete before the deadline, the sellers will gain the most. As the summer progresses, we may see 25 teams within six games of a postseason berth.
However, each competing squad is unique. While some clubs have benefited from an easy schedule, others have been lucky to start the season with good fortune. One of the top teams currently in postseason contention is the St. Louis Cardinals, but as the summer wears on, they will probably lose ground to other clubs.
Which clubs are certain to drop out of the postseason race, along with the Cardinals?
St. Louis Cardinals
Despite their record, the Cardinals aren’t quite as good as they seem. Early in the season, St. Louis has played some outstanding defense, which has allowed them to win games they wouldn’t normally win. In comparison to clubs like the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees, they have also been extremely fortunate to remain comparatively healthy.
At the trade deadline, the Cardinals are unlikely to be active buyers. A marginal team like St. Louis will fall behind the teams who make aggressive purchases if it doesn’t. The Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Dodgers, and many other NL teams are anticipated to be eager purchasers.
Although it’s highly doubtful, St. Louis might surprise everyone and completely reverse its reconstruction by choosing to make a big purchase this season. They will shortly be eliminated from the postseason competition as a result.
Los Angeles Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are just three games away from a playoff berth in the comparatively weak American League as of the time this story was written. Both the Minnesota Twins and Tampa Bay Rays now have AL Wild Card places, but they aren’t world-beaters in and of themselves. Although none of these clubs have distinguished themselves, the Seattle Mariners, Kansas City Royals, and Cleveland Guardians are all ahead of the Angels in the standings.
However, the Angels’ terrible run differential is a major sign that they will soon start losing more games than they win. The Angels have a terrible -51 run differential in 66 games, which ranks them third in the AL and eighth in MLB. Their team’s ERA isn’t very noteworthy.
At the trade deadline, the Angels probably won’t be buyers. Los Angeles is still a few years away from fielding a serious World Series contender, despite having a comparatively weak AL.
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers aggressively deteriorated throughout the summer, particularly with the departures of Devin Williams and Willy Adames, while the Chicago Cubs made a few trades to make huge progress.
In light of this, the Cubs’ dominant lead in the National League Central makes sense. However, as a bit of an afterthought in the NL Wild Card competition, the Brewers have lost ground to the Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds in the division.
Before the trade deadline, the Brewers will probably start selling. Unless they make some significant personnel adjustments, they will inevitably be a mid-tier team among the NL’s powerhouses. It’s doubtful that the Brewers will be able to compete with the Padres, Giants, and Phillies in the final stretch since they are all fighting for a postseason berth.
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks’ demise started when Corbin Burnes, a significant winter recruit, sustained a terrible elbow injury that necessitated season-ending surgery. Given how amazing the NL West is this season and Burnes out for the remainder of the season, it seems quite doubtful that they will be able to survive in the NL Wild Card race.
It is a significant achievement when three teams from a single division qualify for the postseason. That is probably the case with the Diamondbacks, which is an awful circumstance. Arizona would have to be the fourth club in a division to qualify for the postseason, or it would have to defeat the Giants or Padres.
With guys like Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen on the trade block and Burnes out for the season, the Diamondbacks will probably be sellers at the deadline.
Atlanta Braves
I wouldn’t have believed you a few months ago if you had told me that the Atlanta Braves would be 10 games below.500 before the season’s halfway point. However, Atlanta is 28-38 after 66 games this season.
Although injuries have been a key factor in Atlanta’s demise, it’s difficult to place more responsibility on injuries than the next team now that Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuña Jr. are back. This season, Atlanta just doesn’t appear to be winning, and in order to address the roster problems, a little summer restructuring will be necessary.
Marcell Ozuna could be the Braves’ best trade piece, therefore there’s a significant chance they wind up selling before the trade deadline. In any case, the Braves, who are now beset by injuries, are far more likely to lose the season than to contend for a postseason berth.
