It’s all knotted up atop the NL East. The Mets’ win over the Baltimore Orioles put them within a half-game of Philadelphia. This walk-off homer by Patrick Bailey made it all even atop the NL East standings.
The Mets and Phillies are all tied up at the top of the NL East standings (again)
This is probably how it’s going to be for the rest of 2025. Both teams have recently been through a painful stretch. Each is just kind of staying afloat of late, at 5-5 over their last 10 games.
It’s literally a two-horse race right now with the Atlanta Braves 13 games out. Their last 10 has resulted in a 2-8 record, allowing even the Miami Marlins to pass them in the NL East standings.
It’s mornings like this when the reminder of tie-breakers is important. The Mets might’ve lost their most recent series to the Phillies, but a sweep earlier in the year has given them the early 4-2 lead. Taking two out of three from the Milwaukee Brewers last week is equally as helpful. The Brewers, at 52-40, are only a game behind New York and Philadelphia.
The standings remain tight. Pretenders are beginning to fade in the NL standings. The walk-off win for the Giants has helped them to maintain a one-game lead over the San Diego Padres for the final Wild Card spot. Unless the St. Louis Cardinals manage to keep themselves within reach of a playoff berth, it looks as if the National League will only leave one quality team out of the October picture. St. Louis is, somehow, only 1.5 games out of the Wild Card.
It has been a push-and-pull situation in the NL with every team from the Los Angeles Dodgers down to the Cardinals winning only 4, 5, or 6 games over their last 10. The tug-of-war in the NL East isn’t the only ongoing one.
Under all circumstances, winning the NL East should remain the priority for the Mets. This isn’t a year where sneaking in during the penultimate game of the year is good enough. Right there with the best teams in the National League, it’s going to be a messy fight to the end for everyone involved.