MLB standings ordered by remaining strength of schedule: Cubs have no excuses

We've finally arrived at the final stretch. The final month of the MLB season is upon us, giving teams two extra roster spots to play with and one last push to prove they belong in the postseason. The Chicago Cubs are one of those teams.

They do sit comfortably in a Wild Card spot, but their lackluster play since the All-Star break has the Brewers holding a fairly large lead in the NL Central, and has opened the door to the Cubs potentially missing out on the postseason altogether.

This isn't likely, and fortunately, their remaining strength of schedule suggests it should be an impossibility. You still have to beat the bad teams, which the Cubs have had some trouble doing lately, but their strength of schedule, especially when compared to other teams, suggests that it'd be really shocking to see them miss the postseason. With that in mind, here's a look at how the Cubs measure up against the rest of the league with the remaining strength of schedule.

Note: All strengths of schedules are via Tankathon, and all records are from before play on Monday, Sept. 1.

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MLB standings ordered by remaining strength of schedule

AL East

The New York Yankees have trimmed their AL East deficit to just 3.0 games, and they have by far the easiest remaining schedule. The Toronto Blue Jays have been the more consistent team for much of this season, so it'd be foolish to expect them to give up control of first place in the division, but the Yankees have a better chance to win the division than most probably give them credit for.

AL Central

The Detroit Tigers already have MLB's largest division lead, and they're in position to expand on that the rest of the way based on their remaining schedule. This favorable schedule could go a long way when determining their postseason seeding, which, of course, goes a long way in October.

AL West

The Seattle Mariners have a golden opportunity in front of them to steal the AL West away from the Houston Astros. They trail Houston by 2.0 games right now, but they have the easiest remaining schedule in the AL, and the Astros play their fair share of winning clubs down the stretch.

NL East

The New York Mets have the hardest remaining schedule in the NL East and the fourth-hardest in baseball. While that might appear daunting, New York has fared better, at least lately, against winning teams than losing teams. Just this past week, they swept the Phillies, only to then lose three of four against the Marlins.

NL Central

This is why it's incredibly unlikely that the Cubs will miss out on the postseason. Their remaining strength of schedule is the fourth-easiest in all of baseball, and the easiest in the NL Central. The only team they're set to play that's currently in a postseason spot is the Mets, and that series isn't until the last week of the regular season. If there was ever a time for the Cubs to fatten up and potentially make things interesting in the NL Central, it's right now.

NL West

The San Diego Padres trail the Los Angeles Dodgers by 2.0 games in the NL West division and have the easiest remaining schedule in the majors, headlined by seven games against the historically putrid Colorado Rockies. The Dodgers have an easy schedule too, meaning the division won't simply be handed over to San Diego, but the Padres have to like their chances as long as they do what they're supposed to do against subpar competition.