NL Playoff Picture Through July 4th

At the 4th of July mark, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets lead the National League. The Mets sit a mere 1.5 games behind the Dodgers, but there is still plenty of time for the NL standings to shake up before October.

NL East

The New York Mets (51-31) have a grasp on the top spot in the NL East with the Atlanta Braves (49-34) trailing 2.5 games behind. The Mets have been playing without star pitcher Jacob deGrom for the entirety of the season. He suffered from a stress reaction in his right scapula but is beginning to make strides toward a return to the mound in Major League Baseball. He made his first rehab start for Class A St. Lucie on Sunday.

In addition, Max Scherzer made his return to the mound Tuesday for the Mets after being sidelined with an oblique strain on May 18.

Max is back. pic.twitter.com/5CYxXW0iBL

— New York Mets (@Mets) July 6, 2022

NL Central

The St. Louis Cardinals (44-40) trail the Milwaukee Brewers (47-37) by three games in the NL Central. Milwaukee’s Corbin Burnes leads Major League Baseball with 134 strikeouts, and his 2.20 ERA ranks 5th in the league. The Brewers rank second in strikeouts with 788 in Major League Baseball.

Just another day on the job for Corbin.@Burnes16 | #ThisIsMyCrew pic.twitter.com/o5701RkbdW

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) July 6, 2022

Milwaukee has not only found success on the mound. The Brewers have sent 116 pitches out of the park, ranking them 4th in Major League Baseball in home runs.

NL West

The Los Angeles Dodgers (52-29) lead the NL West with the San Diego Padres (47-36) trailing 6 games behind. Unfortunate news was announced Tuesday in Los Angeles when left fielder Chris Taylor was placed on 10-day IL due to a foot fracture. However, the Dodgers still have firepower in Trea Turner and Mookie Betts, who lead the team in batting average and home runs, respectively.

https://twitter.com/Dodgers/status/1544848102657380353?cxt=HHwWgsCi7cLKs_AqAAAA

The Dodgers are currently riding a three-game win streak, and hold top statistical rankings on both offense and defense. Offensively, the Dodgers rank 2nd in RBIs and 4th in stolen bases in Major League Baseball. On the mound, Los Angeles ranks 2nd in Major League Baseball with a 2.91 ERA.

Current Playoff Picture

#1 seed: Los Angeles Dodgers (52-29)

#2 seed: New York Mets (51-31)

#3 seed: Milwaukee Brewers (47-37)

#4 seed: Atlanta Braves (49-34)

#5 seed: San Diego Padres (47-36)

#6 seed: St. Louis Cardinals (44-40)/Philadelphia Phillies (43-39)