Colorado Rockies: How they stack up in the NL Wild Card race

With every game, the Colorado Rockies are inching closer to making their first appearance in the National League playoffs since 2009. It’s also appears it is going to be a white-knuckle race to the finish.

While the team has not put up the kind of record in the second half of the season that it did before the All-Star break, it seems to be in a great position to make October one to remember in Denver.

Heading into play on Sunday, the Rockies were given an 80 percent chance to make the postseason according to MLB.com. Four National League teams have a greater chance to make the postseason. Washington and Los Angeles were both at 100 percent while the Chicago Cubs were at 86 percent and the Arizona Diamondbacks were at 83 percent.

Now if all of those teams made the postseason, that is no problem for Rockies fans. After all, five National League teams will advance to play further in October and Colorado has a great chance to be in that mix. But what about the teams behind them?

As of Sunday morning, St. Louis had a 38 percent chance to make the postseason. Milwaukee came in at 8 percent and the rest of the National League fell behind from there. The Brewers entered Sunday 3.5 games behind the Diamondbacks for the second Wild Card spot while St. Louis was 4 games back. The Brewers pulled within 2.5 games with their 8-4 win over the Rockies on Sunday, their sixth win in their last seven games. St. Louis stayed four games behind thanks to a loss to the Pirates on Sunday Night Baseball.

Here is how the Wild Card standings look on Monday morning, August 21…

Colorado +1

Arizona —

Milwaukee -2.5

St. Louis -4.0

Note: Chicago leads Milwaukee by 2 games in the National League Central while St. Louis is 3.5 games back.

While the Rockies seem safe, it’s a good time to look at Arizona, Chicago, St. Louis and Milwaukee to compare their schedules and see which teams might have an advantage down the stretch.

Let’s start with the Rockies and how they might fare the rest of the season and go from there.

Diamondbacks schedule (67-57 overall as of Monday morning)

August 21-24 at New York Mets

August 25-27 vs. San Francisco

Colorado Rockies

August 29-31 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

September 1-3 at Colorado

September 4-6 at Los Angeles Dodgers

September 8-10 vs. San Diego

September 11-14 vs. Colorado

September 15-17 at San Francisco

September 18-20 at San Diego

September 22-24 vs. Miami

September 25-27 vs. San Francisco

September 29-October 1 at Kansas City

What jumps out: Arizona has three series left with San Francisco this season and two with San Diego. Their only interleague series left comes in an interesting matchup to close the regular season at Kansas City. The Royals could well be fighting for their playoff lives during that series as well.

From August 25-September 20, Arizona will see no team other than those in the National League West. When the Diamondbacks do meet someone from outside the division, it will be Miami in the desert in the next-to-last weekend of the regular season. The Marlins could play a big role in the postseason shakeup as they play Arizona and then head to Colorado next. Miami also has a three-game in south Florida against the Brewers in mid-September.

Who has the easier schedule between the Rockies and Diamondbacks? It’s hard to say as they are pretty even and filled with division foes for both teams. Don’t forget though, the odds seem to be slightly in Arizona’s favor according to MLB.com and FanGraphs.

Cubs schedule (66-57 overall and leading the NL Central as of Monday morning)

August 22-24 at Cincinnati

August 25-27 at Philadelphia

August 28-30 vs. Pittsburgh

August 31-September 3 vs. Atlanta

September 4-7 at Pittsburgh

September 8-10 vs. Milwaukee

September 12-14 vs. New York Mets

September 15-17 vs. St. Louis

September 19-20 at Tampa Bay

September 21-24 at Milwaukee

September 25-28 at St. Louis

September 29-October 1 vs. Cincinnati

What jumps out: After Monday, the Cubs only have two off days left down the stretch. That’s one less than the Rockies. It may not seem like much, but that one day can make a huge difference when it comes to getting some relief for your bullpen.

From September 21-28, the Cubs face off against the two teams who are chasing them in the standings (the Brewers and Cardinals) and both of those series are on the road. Whatever damage is inflicted upon the Cubs during those series, however, could be softened by Chicago’s three-game series at Wrigley against the Reds to end the season. Somehow, the Cubs always seem to get the best of the Reds so having Cincinnati in town as the final series of the season could be just what the doctor ordered for the defending World Champions.

The race for the National League Central could well come down to those seven games between September 21-28.

Cardinals schedule (63-61 overall as of Monday morning)

August 22-24 vs. San Diego

August 25-27 vs. Tampa Bay

August 29-30 at Milwaukee

August 31-September 3 at San Francisco

September 4-7 at San Diego

September 8-10 vs. Pittsburgh

September 12-14 vs. Cincinnati

September 15-17 at Chicago Cubs

September 19-21 at Cincinnati

September 22-24 at Pittsburgh

September 25-28 vs. Chicago Cubs

September 29-October 1 vs. Milwaukee

What jumps out: The Cardinals have two series left with the Cubs and two series left with the Brewers the rest of the season. St. Louis also finishes the season with an all National League Central slate from September 8 through the rest of the year. A road trip from September 15-24 through three NL Central cities will be over just before the Cardinals end with what could be a huge back-to-back set of series at home against the teams who are competing with them for the NL Central crown … and potential Wild Card slot.

The Cardinals also have a West Coast swing still, with stops in San Francisco and San Diego. Who knows … the two lowest teams in the National League West could help the Rockies and/or Diamondbacks in a big way if they can take out the Redbirds.

Brewers schedule (65-60 overall as of Monday morning)

August 21-23 at San Francisco

August 25-27 at Los Angeles Dodgers

August 29-30 vs. St. Louis

August 31-September 3 vs. Washington

September 4-6 at Cincinnati

September 8-10 at Chicago Cubs

September 11-13 vs. Pittsburgh

September 15-17 at Miami

September 18-20 at Pittsburgh

September 21-24 vs. Chicago Cubs

September 26-28 vs. Cincinnati

September 29-October 1 at St. Louis

What jumps out: The Brewers aren’t going anywhere any time soon it seems, especially after taking two of three games from the Rockies at Coors Field over the weekend. However, Milwaukee’s finishing schedule is anything but easy.

The Brewers are the only team of the bunch to face the current three National League division leaders down the stretch (at the Dodgers, home against Washington and a home-and-home with the Cubs). They also end the season with three games at St. Louis, a team they could potentially be battling for not only a Wild Card spot but potentially the National League Central title as well.

Next: Looking back at Colorado's only franchise no-hitter

Milwaukee may have the lowest postseason odds of any of the teams we have highlighted in this article. However, as they showed at 20^th and Blake over the weekend, the Brewers can be a dangerous team. And, all it takes is for a team playing really good baseball as October dawns to throw some wrenches in everyone’s best guesses and plans.