Magic number season is in full swing, meaning that contending teams are counting down the days until they can celebrate clinching a postseason spot. Clinching a spot in the postseason is the first step of many for the Atlanta Braves, as their eyes are set on a World Series title.
Making the postseason is an important box to check, but it's also worth noting that the Braves have made seven postseason appearances in the last eight years. They're used to playing in October, but they want to cross the finish line and win the World Series. Braves fans are looking ahead, but again, making the playoffs is an important box to check. Here's a look at how close Atlanta is to accomplishing its first goal.
Braves magic number to make the playoffs
The Braves' magic number is at three after their win on Tuesday. The formula to come up with this, as written by MLB.com, is as follows: "Games remaining +1 - (Losses by second place team - losses by first place team)." The Braves now have 10 games remaining after Tuesday's win. The team that's chasing them in the playoff race, the Arizona Diamondbacks, have 71 losses. The Braves have 63 losses. The formula for the Braves is 11 - (71-63). The math for that comes out to three, and since the Diamondbacks have the tiebreaker over Atlanta, three is the final magic number.
Of course, getting to the playoffs shouldn't be good enough for a Braves team that should be aiming higher. They only have one World Series appearance in their recent dominant eight-year stretch. The expectation should be to win a World Series title, and it'd be easier for them to do so if they could win the NL East.
Braves are inching closer to NL East title
The Braves just took two of three against the Philadelphia Phillies over the weekend, further aiding their division title hopes. After earning a win on Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs, their magic number to clinch the NL East is at five.
The math for this is quite simple. The Braves have 63 losses compared to Philadelphia's 68, so the formula 11 - (68-63) comes out to six. The difference in this race, as opposed to their push to clinch a playoff spot, is that the Braves hold the tiebreaker over the Phillies thanks to their season-series win against their bitter rivals. Any combination of five Braves wins OR Phillies losses down the stretch will guarantee Atlanta a division title, meaning the NL East race is all but over.
MLB Playoff picture: Possible Braves postseason matchups
San Diego Padres
The Braves hold a 5.5-game lead over the Phillies in the NL East, meaning they're likely to win the division and earn a top-three seed in the NL. The ideal outcome would be to earn a top-two seed, but with the Braves currently trailing the Dodgers by 3.5 games in the race for the No. 2 seed, it's more likely they'll stick where they are and play in the Wild Card Series against the worst of the three Wild Card teams.
The San Diego Padres hold the third Wild Card spot right now, and they've built a rather comfortable 2.5-game lead over Arizona as of this writing. The Braves have had all kinds of trouble with San Diego in recent years, and lost to the Padres in the Wild Card Round in 2024, but that series was played in San Diego. With this year's matchup presumably taking place in Atlanta, the Braves should like their chances.
Los Angeles Dodgers
If the Braves were to overtake the Los Angeles Dodgers for the No. 2 seed in the NL, there's a good chance their first postseason series will be against L.A. in the NLDS. It's never ideal to run into the two-time defending champions, but odds are, the Braves would need to overtake them to win the NL Pennant anyway. It's probably better to run into them with home-field advantage and fresh off a bye.
And while the Dodgers would be favored to beat Atlanta, they don't feel as scary this time around. The Braves just swept the Dodgers in late August, and L.A. is dealing with all sorts of injuries, with Shohei Ohtani being one of many on the Injured List. Again, the champs will be favored until someone beats them, but the Braves are more than capable.
Chicago Cubs
If we're going to dream about the Braves leapfrogging the Dodgers for the No. 2 seed, we need to also consider the possibility of things going in the opposite direction. They're in the driver's seat in their division race against the Phillies, but it's far from a given that they'll win the NL East. If they fail to clinch a division title, that'll likely result in a Wild Card Series against the Chicago Cubs.
That'd be a tough series for Atlanta. The Cubs are probably the best defensive team in the sport, led by NL MVP favorite Pete Crow-Armstrong, and they have a lineup as deep as any in the NL. Their pitching staff is suspect, but their defense helps that unit out a lot. We're set to get a preview of a potential postseason series between these two NL clubs later this month, with Atlanta set to play three games at Wrigley Field.
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