Marlins could make playoffs for first time in 17 years. Here’s what needs to happen.
The Miami Marlins are on the verge of just the third playoff berth in franchise history, joining the World Series teams from 1997 and 2003.
The 17-year drought could officially end as early as Wednesday, but nothing is guaranteed yet and could very well play out until the final days of the season. The Marlins’ performance over their final six games of the season (three more against the Atlanta Braves and then three at the New York Yankees) — and potentially how the Philadelphia Phillies perform should Miami stumble — will determine if Miami is playing in October or if the run over this 60-game season ends in disappointment.
Where the Miami Marlins stand
The Marlins enter Tuesday’s game against the Braves with a 28-26 record and six games left to play. They are four games behind the Braves (32-22) for first place in the NL East but hold a one-game lead over the Phillies (27-27) for second place in the division.
MLB introduced an expanded playoff field for the 2020 season, with 16 total teams advancing to the postseason instead of the usual ten. The top two teams in each division plus the next two teams in each league advance. Every team plays in a best-of-3 Wild Card round to begin the postseason, with the top four seeds in each league (the three division winners and the division runner up with the best record) hosting at their home ballparks. The playoffs will move to hub cities after that. The World Series will be played at the Texas Rangers’ Globe Life Park.
While the Marlins’ chance to sneak to an NL East title all but ended with their 5-4 loss to the Braves on Monday, Miami is still in a solid spot to finish as runner-up in the division and take that guaranteed spot.
The Miami Marlins’ magic number
Heading into Tuesday, the number Marlins fans need to focus on is five. That’s the Marlins’ magic number, or the number symbolic of what it will take to clinch a postseason berth.
What is a magic number? In simplest term, it’s the minimum combinations of wins by the Marlins and losses by the team directly below them in the standings (in this case, the Phillies), that the Marlins need to secure second place in the NL East.
For example, if the Marlins win just two of their final six games, they will need the Phillies to lose at least three games to lock in their postseason spot.
The final schedules
The primary factor that could play against the Marlins is the schedule to close out the season. Miami is in the midst of its four-game series with the Braves, who can clinch the division with two more wins against the Marlins, and then play three games in New York against the Yankees, who are still in the hunt for home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
The Phillies’ remaining schedule is three games against the 21-32 Nationals and three games against the Tampa Bay Rays.
