Originally published by DodgerBlue.com
The 2023 regular season is nearing its end with just two games remaining, and the Los Angeles Dodgers are once again getting ready for October baseball.
The Dodgers have reached the postseason 11 consecutive years, which includes 10 National League West division titles during that time. In addition to their postseason berth, the Dodgers also clinched the No. 2 seed in the NL, guaranteeing them a spot in the Division Series.
They joined the No. 1 seed Atlanta Braves as the two teams already moving past the Wild Card round, but that puts them in the position of having five days off once the regular season ends while the other teams fight to move on.
Based on MLB’s playoff bracket, the Braves will play the winner of the Wild Card series between the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds. The the Dodgers are due to face either the No. 3 seed Milwaukee Brewers or the No. 6 Wild Card team.
The chase for the final Wild Card spot is coming down to the wire, however, and the seedings could still change with only the Philadelphia Phillies locked into fourth place.
Which team will the Dodgers play in the NLDS?
Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers earned the No. 3 seed by winning the NL Central but finishing behind the Braves and Dodgers in the standings. They will play whichever team earns the final Wild Card spot for the chance to advance to face the Dodgers in the NLDS.
The Brewers are widely considered the favorites to eventually face the Dodgers, but anything can of course happen during postseason baseball.
Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins are currently sitting in the sixth seed, which would have them face the Brewers in the best-of-three Wild Card Series. If that holds true and they defeat the Brewers, the Marlins would be the Dodgers’ first-round opponent.
However, they are still in position to move up in the Wild Card race as they only trail the Arizona Diamondbacks by a half-game. Conversely, the Marlins could drop out of the playoffs altogether as they only have a 1.5-game lead.
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are on the outside looking in, and they do not hold a tiebreaker over any of their closest opponents. They trail the Marlins by 1.5 games, so they would need to win out and see Miami lose their two remaining games. The Cubs also need the Reds lose at least one game in that scenario.
They are significantly closer to eliminated than sneaking into the NL postseason bracket, making them an unlikely opponent for the Dodgers, but still not out of it yet.
Cincinnati Reds
Like the Cubs, the Cincinnati Reds are also sitting 1.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot, but they have the advantage of tiebreakers. The Reds would need to overcome the Marlins, who own the head-to-head tiebreaker, but they would get in over the Cubs and Diamondbacks in the event of a tie.
It’s still an uphill climb for the Reds, but owning the tiebreaker over two teams ahead of them makes it a more likely scenario for them to get in.
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks are currently in the No. 4 seed and would face the Phillies in a Wild Card Series if that holds. But they are just half a game ahead of the Marlins and could still drop out of the postseason entirely.
The Diamondbacks hold the tiebreaker over the Cubs, but they would drop out if they Marlins or Reds tie with them. The Diamondbacks hold a magic number of one and can clinch a postseason berth on Saturday.
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