Poll: Will Anything Shake Up The NL Playoff Picture?

"The playoff race in the American League figures to be a photo finish, with the AL East and AL West division titles both still up for grabs and four teams not currently in a postseason spot still within three games of the final AL Wild Card spot. By contrast, the National League looks very stable. Two of the league's three division leaders have a lead of more than five games, and zero teams not already in the playoff picture are within three games of the final NL Wild Card spot."

"The one place where the NL is within three games of a meaningful shift is the NL West, where the Dodgers hold a 2.5 game lead over the Padres. That division has been something of a dogfight for the whole second half. While the Dodgers were nine games up on their competition just two months ago, strong play from the Padres in conjunction with an aggressive trade deadline that saw the club bring in Mason Miller, Ramon Laureano, and Ryan O'Hearn (among others) was enough to push them back into contention."

"While it wasn't long ago that the Padres were right there with the Dodgers in the NL West race, it's becoming difficult to see them overtaking their rivals. A 7-12 record since Los Angeles kicked off a three-game sweep of San Diego on August 15 has left the Padres flailing, and while the Dodgers have gone just 7-8 since that series concluded, there are no regular season contests remaining between the two clubs during which the Padres can make up significant ground."

American League playoff positioning remains highly competitive, with both the AL East and AL West still undecided and four non-postseason teams within three games of the final AL Wild Card spot. National League playoff positioning appears more stable, with two division leaders holding leads larger than five games and no outside teams within three games of the final NL Wild Card. The NL West is the closest NL race, with the Dodgers 2.5 games ahead of the Padres after San Diego's strong stretch and trade-deadline upgrades. The Padres have since struggled, while a favorable remaining schedule could yield winnable games.

Read at MLB Trade Rumors