Milwaukee Brewers: Where do they stand in the playoff race?
The Milwaukee Brewers are in second place in the division, but they’re at the head of the pack for the Wild Card. What are their current odds of making the playoffs?
The Chicago Cubs hold a 4 1/2 game lead in the NL Central over the Milwaukee Brewers. However, the Brewers are 1/2 game up on the St. Louis Cardinals for the National League Wild Card lead. Can the Brewers still win the division, or should they focus on the Wild Card race?
What are the odds for the division?
According to FanGraphs, the Milwaukee Brewers have a 7.1% chance of winning the division with 21 games remaining on their schedule. The Chicago Cubs are the clear favorites to win the division at 89.4%. The St. Louis Cardinals are still mathematically in the mix, and have a 3.4% chance to win the NL Central.
4 1/2 games isn’t an insurmountable lead, and the Brewers still have a three-game series remaining with the Cubs. They would need a sweep and have to pickup another 1 1/2 games to tie. It’s not impossible, but it’s not likely at this point.
How about the Wild Card?
The Milwaukee Brewers are the clear leader to win the Wild Card in the National League with a 75.7% chance. The St. Louis Cardinals are right behind them with a 63.1% chance. The Colorado Rockies are the next closest competitor with a 21.1% chance of winning the Wild Card.
Other than their remaining series with the Chicago Cubs, the only playoff-likely team the Milwaukee Brewers have to face is the St. Louis Cardinals. The Brewers will travel to St. Louis for a three-game set on September 24th. The outcome of that series will greatly influence the Wild Card standings. There’s a chance that the Brewers could clinch the top spot with a series win, or end up looking up at the Cardinals with a series loss.
Is it time to start scoreboard watching?
You mean you’re not scoreboard watching already? Yes. Watch the scoreboard to keep an eye on what’s going on elsewhere in the league. However, the only teams to worry about are the Cubs and the Cardinals…for now.
Overall, the Milwaukee Brewers have an 82.8% chance to make the playoffs, and a 2.1% chance to win the World Series. They still have to play 12.9% of the schedule, but the odds for a playoff spot are in their favor. Now if only there were odds for Christian Yelich in the MVP race…