As the dust settles following the 2023 MLB trade deadline, the playoff picture in the American League is taking shape. The trades have been executed, the roster adjustments have been made, and now, it’s time for the teams to prove it on the field.
This article provides a comprehensive update on where each National League team stands, evaluating the potential contenders who are gearing up to make a significant push into the postseason.
Can the Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants keep it up? Who are the biggest winners from the trade deadline? We’ll break that down along with the over divisional (and wild card) races below.
National League playoff picture
No. 1 seed, NL East leader — Atlanta Braves (68-37)
No. 2 seed, NL West leader — Cincinnati Reds (59-50)
No. 3 seed, NL Central leader — Los Angeles Dodgers (60-45)
Wild Card
1st WC — San Francisco Giants (59-49)
2nd WC — Philadelphia Phillies (58-49)
3rd WC — Milwaukee Brewers (58-50)
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Arizona Diamondbacks (57-51) — 1 GB
Miami Marlins (57-51) — 1 GB
Chicago Cubs (54-53) — 3.5 GB
San Diego Padres (53-55) — 5 GB
New York Mets (50-56) — 7 GB
Post-trade deadline outlook
The Braves had a relatively quiet deadline, mostly because they are pretty set across the board. They are a strong favorite with +330 odds at DraftKings Sportsbook to win the World Series. Behind them in slot No. 2 stands the Dodgers that reloaded with depth pieces at the deadline to get them to October.
So I guess the Cincinnati Reds are for real. Here we are, on the other side of the trade deadline, and the Reds are very much insisting that they are staying in the playoff picture. DraftKings Sportsbook still has the Brewers favored to win the NL Central with -140 odds. The Reds have +140 odds in what’s turned into a two-team race.
Looking at the other Wild Card hopefuls, the Phillies bolstered their pitching depth after adding All-Star Michael Lorenzen from the Detroit Tigers.
Perhaps one of the more interesting developments since the start of the season is that the Padres and Mets would both be out of the playoffs if they started today. The Mets are seven games back while San Diego sits five out of the third Wild Card spot.