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Colorado Rockies: Which teams are the biggest Wild Card challengers?

By Quinn Ritzdorf |
CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 10: The scoreboard operators watch the game between the Chicago Cubs and the Colorado Rockies during the sixth inning on June 10, 2017 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by David Banks/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 10: The scoreboard operators watch the game between the Chicago Cubs and the Colorado Rockies during the sixth inning on June 10, 2017 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by David Banks/Getty Images)
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DENVER, CO – JUNE 18: Nolan Arenado #28 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates hitting a 3 RBI walk off home run in the ninth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field on June 18, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO – JUNE 18: Nolan Arenado #28 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates hitting a 3 RBI walk off home run in the ninth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field on June 18, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

The Colorado Rockies are off to their best season in franchise history with a 54-41 record.

However, they are third in the NL West, arguably the best division in baseball. They are 11 games behind the Dodgers and half a game behind Arizona.

They currently hold the second wild card spot with a five and a half game lead over the Chicago Cubs. As of right now, it seems as though three NL West teams could be playing in October. And the Diamondbacks improved their team on Tuesday afternoon when it was announced they had won the trading war for Detroit outfielder J.D. Martinez.

However, there are some teams that the Rockies and their fans should keep an eye out for. Let’s dive in and see which ones are the biggest threats to Colorado’s postseason hopes.

Note: All records listed are prior to Tuesday night play.

CHICAGO, IL – JUNE 10: The scoreboard operators watch the game between the Chicago Cubs and the Colorado Rockies during the sixth inning on June 10, 2017 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by David Banks/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – JUNE 10: The scoreboard operators watch the game between the Chicago Cubs and the Colorado Rockies during the sixth inning on June 10, 2017 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by David Banks/Getty Images) /

Chicago Cubs (47-45, 5.5 WCGB)

The defending World Series champions should always be kept on close watch. They are currently second in the NL Central, only three and a half games back of the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Cubs are on a four-game winning streak and are looking to win the last two games of an important three game series against the Atlanta Braves.

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With the lineup and the pitching rotation the Cubs have, they are always dangerous. They were picked as the preseason favorite to win the World Series, but here they are only two games above .500.

What makes the Cubs dangerous, is they are willing to spend big money to add to their talented roster. With the trade deadline coming up, I wouldn’t be surprised if they added an extra bat or another arm to the starting rotation, which has faced some injuries.

They have already made a big move with the Jose Quintana signing.

The Cubs will be making another move, because this season isn’t a success without getting back to the World Series, which should concern Rockies fans.

PITTSBURGH, PA – JULY 17: Travis Shaw #21 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrates with teammates in the dugout after coming around to score on an RBI single by Orlando Arcia #3 in the second inning during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on July 17, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA – JULY 17: Travis Shaw #21 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrates with teammates in the dugout after coming around to score on an RBI single by Orlando Arcia #3 in the second inning during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on July 17, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) /

Milwaukee Brewers (52-43, Lead NL Central)

The biggest surprise of the season is the fact that the Brewers are leading the division that have the Cubs and the Cardinals.

They are a threat to the Rockies, because they won’t be leading the division much longer. The Cubs are going to get back to their old ways of winning and take the lead in the NL Central.

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That means that the team the Rockies have to look out for in the wild card are the Brewers.

The Brewers are an all around good team. They are right in the middle of the MLB in batting average and ERA. They are known as a power hitting team in hitter friendly Miller Park, but their pitching is what has kept them in games.

It will be interesting to see what the Brewers do with the trade deadline approaching. Either they will see this season as an opportunity to make the playoffs for the first time since 2008, and be a buyer. Or they will see their roster as something they can build around, and be sellers to acquire young talent.

As of right now, the Brewers are a team to be aware of.

ATLANTA, GA – JULY 16: Matt Kemp #27 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates a three-run home run with Brandon Phillips #4 during the third inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at SunTrust Park on July 16, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA – JULY 16: Matt Kemp #27 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates a three-run home run with Brandon Phillips #4 during the third inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at SunTrust Park on July 16, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images) /

Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates

These teams are being bunched together, because they aren’t an immediate threat. They are teams that fans should check up on every now and again. Who knows, maybe one of them can start making a run and become a contender for that last wild card spot.

The Braves are seven games out of the wild card. They are sixth in the league for batting average, but 20th in ERA. Atlanta is another team that could go either way with the trade deadline, especially since they have no chance of catching the Nationals in the NL East.

The Cardinals are seven and a half games out of the wild card. St. Louis is the opposite of the Braves. They are sixth in ERA, but only 20th in batting average. The Cardinals should be buyers for this trade deadline, because the NL Central is such a close race. Which makes an historic team like the Cardinals, a team to be worrying about.

The Pirates are 8 games back of the wild card. Their pitching is average, but their hitting is below league average at .244. Again, since they are a part of the NL Central, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were buyers in the upcoming trade deadline, which would make them more competitive.

Next: Could Tyler Chatwood's injury impact Colorado's deadline plans?

The Rockies are sitting relatively comfortable, given the fact they have gone 7-15 since June 21, when they fell out of first place in the NL West. The Rockies must continue to play well if they want to make it to their first playoff appearance since 2009, especially since they have solid competition only a few games behind them.

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