The Chicago Cubs have only qualified for the playoffs once since 2018, but they hope to reverse that trend by the end of the season.
The Cubs are currently 78-69 this season, and although they are 4.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central, they are controlling their own fate in the wild card race, with a lead of 2.5 games San Francisco Giants, Arizona Diamondbacks and Cincinnati Reds.
Here’s the rankings as we enter play on Friday:
Phillies – 79-67
Boys – 78-69
Giants – 75-71
Diamondbacks – 76-72
Reds – 76-72
Marlins – 75-72 (0.5GB)
So what is the Cubs’ “magic number” to make the playoffs?
Simply put, the “magic number” illustrates the number of wins a team needs, combined with the number of losses by an opponent chasing them in the standings, to secure a spot in the playoffs.
Using the formula provided by MLB, the Cubs’ current magic number to secure at least one wild card spot is currently 13.
The Cubs need to make sure they finish ahead of the Reds in the standings as well. Cincinnati will hold the tiebreaker over the Cubs at the end of the season after winning seven of the 13 games the two clubs played during the regular season.
The Cubs will also lose tiebreakers against the Phillies and Marlins and will need to beat the Diamondbacks on the road this weekend to avoid losing that tiebreaker as well. However, they have a tiebreaker with the Giants.
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