MLB Wild Card standings: Who has the easiest path to the playoffs?

While most of the division races are all but wrapped up as we enter the final month of the MLB regular season, both Wild Card races are incredibly tight, with at least one team 0.5 games back of the final Wild Card spot in both leagues entering action on Tuesday, September 1. In such close races, any break could determine how things play out. The remaining strength of schedule is one thing to look at in that regard.

The teams with the easiest strength of schedule down the stretch should be expected to have an easier path to the postseason. With that in mind, let's take a look at the standings and which teams lucked into favorable September schedules.

AL Wild Card standings

The race for the third Wild Card spot remains incredibly intense, with four teams within 1.5 games of each other and seven teams at least somewhat realistically in the hunt. Again, such a close race could be decided by who has the easiest remaining schedule.

AL Wild Card standings by strength of schedule

Seattle Mariners

The Seattle Mariners have far and away the easiest remaining schedule in the majors, as their combined opponents' win percentage is .420. For reference, the 57-81 San Francisco Giants have the fourth-worst record in the majors and they have a .413 win percentage. The Mariners essentially play the Giants for a month straight. In theory, having a combined 17 of their remaining 24 games come against the Rockies, Angels and Athletics, the three-worst teams in baseball, should give Seattle its best chance to go on a run.

However, given how they've played all year, it's hard to believe so strongly in them actually going on a run. For the Mariners to finish with a .500 record, they'll need to go 17-7 the rest of the way. They'll probably need to go something like 19-5 to have a realistic shot at the postseason. While that's possible thanks to their weak schedule, again, they've given no reason to believe in their ability to string enough wins together.

Toronto Blue Jays

The toughest series the Toronto Blue Jays have remaining is a three-game set against a Cleveland Guardians team that is just one game over .500. That series begins on Tuesday night, and then it gets a whole lot easier from there. They still have three-game series left against bottom-feeders like the Royals and Athletics. In other words, they're set up to go on a run if they play to their capability.

Whether they will remains to be seen. They took advantage of the reeling Mariners, sweeping them over the weekend, but the series prior saw them drop two of three to the Royals at home. The Jays haven't been consistent all year, and things like injuries and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s season-long struggles continue to hold them back, but their remaining schedule, which largely includes teams they're in the Wild Card hunt with, gives them a chance at making it to October.

Minnesota Twins

The Minnesota Twins are struggling. Even after winning back-to-back games to end August, they finished the month with a 10-17 record, their worst month of the year. They're still in the hunt, but are 3.5 games back, with four teams, including the Jays, in front of them. As bleak as things might appear, not all hope is lost.

The Twins have some tough series ahead, but they also have a four-game set against the league-worst Angels and five games against the reeling Tigers. They've recently promoted top prospects Walker Jenkins and Kaelen Cullpepper to the majors, and Joe Ryan is set to embark on a rehab assignment. If they can take care of the bad teams on their schedule, expect the Twins to still be in the thick of this thing come late September.

NL Wild Card standings

While the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies are safely in Wild Card spots, the third spot is very much up for grabs, with just 0.5 games separating the San Diego Padres and the Arizona Diamondbacks. Those two teams are the main ones fighting for that spot, but others like the Marlins and Cardinals shouldn't be completely ruled out yet.

NL Wild Card standings by strength of schedule

San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres have sole possession of the third Wild Card spot and the easiest remaining schedule of all teams in the NL Wild Card race, thanks largely to upcoming series against the Rockies and Giants. Their toughest remaining series is a three-game set against the Dodgers, but with that coming in the final week of the regular season, Los Angeles might not have anything to play for, which could prove to be beneficial for the Padres, who immediately play the Diamondbacks right after that in a series that could determine the eventual third Wild Card team.

Fernando Tatis Jr. is looking more and more like himself, their rotation is much better and their bullpen remains elite, so the Padres feel like a sneaky contender. Add in a weak schedule, and making the playoffs should be a non-issue.

St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals have not acted like a team that's serious about winning this season, but they're 5.0 games back of a playoff spot and have a fairly easy schedule down the stretch, with nine of their remaining games coming against the Rockies and the Giants. Losing JJ Wetherholt is bound to hurt them, and again, this isn't an organization that's shown urgency to win now, but if they can take advantage of some subpar competition, who knows?

The Cardinals have two particularly tough series remaining, in Milwaukee and at Dodger Stadium. The Brewers series is the final one of the season, so again, it's entirely possible they'll have nothing to play for. As for the Dodgers series, that's about to take place. If the Cardinals can avoid getting swept in L.A., they should still be considered in the hunt given how easy their schedule gets from there.

Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates just wrapped up their third straight losing month, dropping them to within 6.0 games of a playoff spot. Their odds of getting to the postseason are obviously slim to none, but they shouldn't be ruled out for a couple of reasons. First, they're getting healthier. Oneil Cruz is back, and Konnor Griffin is on the verge of a return, so their lineup should be better. Second, their schedule isn't impossible.

Right now, in particular, is when the Pirates need to go on a run, as they're set to host the Giants and Angels in back-to-back series. If Pittsburgh can win five or six of those games (which is a tall ask, admittedly), and hold ground in the middle of the month when things get tougher, they might still be alive down the stretch. Pittsburgh ends its season with winnable series against the Royals, Cardinals and Tigers. Again, it's unlikely, but they're not dead yet.

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