Phillies get one step closer to NLDS opponent after NL playoff bracket locks

The MLB playoffs are about to begin, and the Philadelphia Phillies finally have some more clarity on who they could face when their postseason begins on Saturday. The new NL East champions have the week off after clinching the No. 2 seed in the National League and getting a bye past the first round.

For the third through sixth seeds, however, their playoffs get underway on Tuesday with the Wild Card Series beginning.

Monday's doubleheader between the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets made for a murky end to the regular season, with the final NL Wild Card spots not being decided until Monday evening. The two NL East foes split their final regular season games, meaning both will participate in the MLB playoffs this year.

So, now that the dust has settled and the Wild Card and NL bracket matchups are locked in, who could the Phillies possibly face in the National League Division Series?

Phillies get one step closer to NLDS opponent after NL playoff bracket locks

The NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers, the No. 3 seed, will host the best-of-three series against the No. 6 seed New York Mets. The winner of that matchup will head to Philadelphia to take on the Phillies in the best-of-five NLDS.

Needless to say, either one of these opponents would bring some intrigue for the Phillies, who have home-field advantage for the NLDS and will host three games (if all five games are necessary) at the wildly raucous Citizens Bank Park.

If the Brewers prevail in the Wild Card Series, which kicks off at American Family Field on Tuesday at 5:32 p.m. ET, former Phillies fan favorite Rhys Hoskins would return to The Bank with his 93-69 Brewers. Hoskins, who spent his entire professional career and six MLB seasons in the Phillies organization before being cast off in free agency last winter, authored one of the more memorable recent postseason moments during the 2022 playoff run to the World Series. The Phillies went 4-2 in the head-to-head matchup with the Brewers this season.

If the No. 6 seed New York Mets upset the Brewers, it will mark the first time that the Phillies and Mets will meet in the postseason. The Phils went 7-6 against the Mets this season, but the most recent memory is of the four-game series at Citi Field late in the season when the Phillies only managed one win and were unable to clinch the division against their NL East rivals.

Whether it's the Brewers or Mets, the Phillies will be ready and waiting in the NLDS to keep working toward the same goal they've had since spring training. The final push to the World Series begins on Saturday.

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