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

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.

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 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.