Phillies magic number: How many games to clinch a playoff berth [Updated Sept. 15]

The Philadelphia Phillies haven't had the second half fans had been looking forward to after the team's rip-roaring start to the season. The Phillies ran roughshod over the league on their way to MLB's best record in the first half.

After posting a 62-34 record before the All-Star break, there was plenty of optimism among the Phillies faithful about the second half, until the realities of the 162-game marathon of the MLB season kicked in.

After a slump and some inconsistent play through July and August, the Phillies look like they're getting back on track, gaining some momentum down the stretch run and looking ahead to the playoffs. According to FanGraphs' playoff odds, they were still in the driver's seat in the NL East as the calendar turned to September, despite their struggles.

That's what we're doing here, looking ahead to the postseason and finding out how close the Phillies are to clinching their playoff berth.

Phillies magic number: How many games to clinch a playoff berth

A team's magic number refers to how close it is to securing a playoff spot or winning the division, per MLB.com's definition. It's the combination of wins needed by a team and the closest team's losses.

A Phillies win or a loss by the second-place team in the division (currently the Atlanta Braves) will improve Philadelphia's magic number in the NL East. With enough Phillies wins and Braves losses (assuming they don't get overtaken by the New York Mets), Philadelphia's magic number will eventually hit zero. When that happens, they'll have mathematically clinched the NL East with no chance of losing the division crown.

For example, the basic formula to calculate the Phillies' magic number for the NL East is: 163 - Phillies wins - second place team's losses.

Here's how the top of the NL East standings look after today's action:

The Phillies' magic number for the NL East is 5

With some basic math, we come to the result that the Phillies' magic number is five. Any combination of five Phillies wins and Braves losses will secure the NL East for the Phillies for the first time since 2011 and snap the Braves' six-year run as division champs.

As for their playoff berth, you can repeat the same formula but with the seventh-place team in the National League standings. Currently that's the Mets, who the Phillies will need to finish ahead of to secure a spot in the postseason.

The Phillies' magic number for a playoff berth is 5

Working the Mets into the formula, the Phillies' magic number to clinch a playoff berth is five. So any combination of five Phillies wins and Mets losses secure their spot in the playoffs.

With time ticking down toward the postseason, the Phillies are playing not only for the NL East crown but a top seed in the NL. The top two division winners in the league get byes past the Wild Card round, earning a few days off before playing in the NLDS. After having to battle through as a Wild Card the past two seasons, the Phillies will be more than happy to have some time off before starting their trek to the World Series.