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.

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.

More from Rox Pile

• A Colorado Rockies Thanksgiving
• Colorado Rockies: What if Todd Helton had played football instead?
• Colorado Rockies: Charlie Blackmon out for the season
• Colorado Rockies: Injuries shift look of roster ahead of Dodgers series
• Colorado Rockies: Has Sean Bouchard earned a second look in 2023?

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.

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.