Sometimes, 162 games aren't enough to differentiate one team from another. Sometimes, teams play leapfrog the entire way down the stretch. And in a season that lacks a 100-game winner for the first time in a decade, it'll cause log jams for playoff spots and leave at least one team on the outside looking in.
Mere days away from the music stopping in this long game of musical chairs, tiebreakers may still apply if the teams are deadlocked by record. Head-to-head record is a deciding factor and makes a huge difference depending on the team you initially tie within the standings.
Phillies tie-breaking scenarios: Which teams do the Phillies hold the advantage over?
The Philadelphia Phillies play the same game as everyone else, and no, they don't have to worry about the Wild Card race anymore thanks to becoming the new beasts of the East, but it matters ultimately if they can clinch the No. 1 seed.
NL EAST CHAMPIONS pic.twitter.com/peQVT1C08I
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) September 24, 2024
Coming into Friday, the Phillies are 6.0 games up on the New York Mets even after dropping a heart-breaking three of four in Queens last weekend, per Brooke Destra of NBC Sports Philadelphia. They would still own the tiebreaker, winning the season series 7-6, but with "division champ" in front of their name, that becomes moot.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers, who are the two other division leaders the Phillies are battling it out with at the top, will be the final test. The Phillies did a superb job of securing tiebreakers in battles against the Dodgers, winning 5-1, and the Brewers at 4-2. They don't have to worry about the Brewers in the seeding anymore, however, having locked up one of the top two spots on Wednesday.
The Phillies also own the tiebreaker against the San Diego Padres, with a 5-1 record, which could come into play if the Padres can deny the Dodgers the NL West title as they wrap up their three-game series on Thursday.
The Phillies trail the Dodgers by 0.5 games heading into Thursday's slate. But with the Phillies getting a day off, at the end of the night, they'll either be 1.0 game behind or tied with the Dodgers. By the end of the weekend, their tiebreakers with the Dodgers or/the Padres could be the difference between getting the No. 1 seed or not and securing home-field advantage through the NLCS.