The Dodgers are off on Thursday after playing 13 days in a row, a length none of their remaining schedule can match. Beginning Friday, they will play 28 games over 31 days, with a nine-day stretch (September 2-10), a 10-day stretch (September 12-21), and a six-day stretch to end the regular season (September 23-28).
Unlike most years, the Dodgers winning the National League West this season wouldn’t necessarily earn them a bye past the wild card round. The Dodgers have only been in the wild card round twice in this current stretch of playoff participation — in 2020, when the postseason was expanded and all 16 postseason teams played in the wild card round; and in 2021, when the Dodgers had the second-best record in baseball (106-56) but finished one game behind the Giants and had to play in the wild card game (it hadn’t yet become the wild card series that currently exist).
So the Dodgers are fighting several fronts in their 2025 postseason war, and let’s take stock of where things stand at the moment.
Dodgers 77-57 (.575) – – –
Padres 75-59 (.560) 2 GB
The Dodgers went 9-4 against San Diego, and thus hold the tiebreaker should both teams finish with the same record. They do not play each other again, but have several common games among their remaining slate.
Up next: Dodgers vs. D-backs, Padres at Twins
- Brewers 83-51 (.619)
- Dodgers 77-57 (.575)
- Phillies 76-57 (.571)
Milwaukee is 44-16 over the last 10 weeks, which has earned them a six-game cushion for the possible No. 1 seed in the National League. The Dodgers and Phillies are tightly bunched in the battle for the No. 2 seed, which earns a bye. The Phillies beat the Dodgers two out of three in April in Philadelphia, and the two teams play at Dodger Stadium from September 15-17 to conclude the season series.
But the Dodgers and Phillies are also tightly bunched with the other teams currently in wild card position, too. Only two games separate the No. 2 and No. 5 seeds.
- Brewers 83-51 (.619)
- Dodgers 77-57 (.575)
- Phillies 76-57 (.571)
- Cubs 76-57 (.571)
- Padres 75-59 (.560)
- Mets 72-61 (.541)
- Reds 68-66 (.507)
Six NL teams make the postseason, but I included the Reds here as a courtesy because they are the only other team in the league that doesn’t have a losing record. The Dodgers sweeping them put a damper on Cincinnati’s October chances.
The division winner with the worst record gets the No. 3 seed, and will play the No. 6 seed in the wild card round, with No. 4 playing No. 5. All wild card series are at the home of the higher seed for the entirety of the best-of-3 series, which this year runs from Tuesday, September 30 to October 2.
For the Division Series, the No. 1 seed will play the winner of the 4-vs.-5 wild card matchup, and the No. 2 seed gets the 3-vs.-6 winner. As things stand on Thursday, the Dodgers would get a bye as the No. 2 seed, and would play the winner of the Phillies-Mets wild card round.
But there’s still 4 1/2 weeks remaining and plenty of time to sort this all out.
This weekend: Phillies vs. Braves, Dodgers vs. D-backs, Cubs at Rockies, Padres at Twins, Mets vs. Marlins
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