MLB Standings: Phillies entering a crucial stretch of schedule with Mets series

This time of year, checking the MLB standings and the out-of-town scoreboard is a daily ritual bordering on obsession for baseball fans, well, at least for those whose teams are still playing for something besides next season. Philadelphia Phillies fans are no different, and this year, with a playoff berth all but assured, there's somehow even more at stake.

It's a nice feeling this time around to not be anxiously checking the scoreboards and standings, hoping to sneak into the postseason by one game like they did in 2022. Even last year, as nice as it was to be safely secured as the top Wild Card team in the National League, it can't compare to what Phillies fans are feeling this season. The Phillies will clinch a playoff berth sooner rather than later and are fighting to get their magic number for the NL East title down to zero, as well as the top seed in the NL.

Phillies Schedule: Crucial stretch with series against the Mets and Brewers

That's why this next stretch of games is crucial for the Phillies. Here are the NL standings heading into this weekend's action. The Phillies already hold the tiebreaker with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the top seed, so they really have a 2.0-game lead heading to Friday's action.

Of course, you can find the latest, up-to-date MLB standings here.

The Phillies, who just completed the sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays to go a season-high 30 games over .500, still have seven games remaining against the New York Mets. The first three are on tap this weekend at Citizens Bank Park, with another four-game series lined up at Citi Field next Thursday to Sunday. It's nice to know that the Phillies have a little bit of a cushion heading into this series, with an 8.0-game lead over their division rivals.

However, the Mets have been just as hot as the Phillies recently. Both teams are 8-2 in their last 10 and are 18-8 since Aug. 14. The Mets even strung together a nine-game win streak and now look like they have the upper hand over the struggling Atlanta Braves for the final Wild Card spot.

Sandwiched in between the two Mets series is a three-game set with the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers. That series is crucial for the Phillies in the event that the Brewers catch up and challenge the Phillies for one of the top two seeds and a first-round bye. Luckily, the Phillies swept the Brew Crew at home in June, so just one win is needed to secure the tiebreaker against Rhys Hoskins and Co.

The Phillies could also clinch the NL East while in Milwaukee. The earliest date to clinch is Monday, if they sweep the Mets and the Dodgers sweep the Braves. Things are getting fun!