The Padres are locked in one of the tightest races in baseball for that final NL Wild Card spot, and it comes down to one team: the Diamondbacks. They're currently tied in the loss column, with Arizona holding just a half-game edge. Split their head-to-head series so far this year, 5-5.
Here's the twist that makes this a genuine hurdle, not just a numbers game: the schedules aren't equal down the stretch. San Diego closes with a tough final week against the Dodgers, while Arizona gets a much easier slate against the Rockies. The Padres are going to have to earn this the hard way.
And then there's the finale: the Padres and Diamondbacks close the regular season against each other, Sept. 25-27 at Petco Park. Realistically, there's only one playoff spot up for grabs between these two teams, so that series is basically a bonus round of the playoffs before the playoffs even start.
The good news, and it's real good news: San Diego has been playing like a completely different team recently, going 26-15 after a rough stretch earlier in the season. If that pace holds, the final series might end up being a formality instead of a nail biter.
Two teams, one spot, and it might genuinely come down to the very last weekend.
Who do you think with be the player to make the biggest impact to pull the Padres into the playoffs?