As the calendar turns to September, the MLB regular season has officially entered its final month. The first game of the postseason is scheduled for September 30, and there is still plenty left to be decided over the season’s final four weeks.
The Mets enter September with an 73-64 record after posting an 11-17 record in August. The Mets, who are looking to clinch back-to-back playoff berths for just the third time in franchise history (1999-2000, 2015-2016), remain in a good spot despite their subpar play since June 13. Fangraphs currently puts the team’s postseason odds at 93.4%, which are pretty favorable odds all things considered. If the season were to end today, the Mets would occupy the third Wild Card spot, but the team is still in play for the NL East title, although it is a long shot at best—Fangraphs gives the Mets an 8.8% chance to win the division as of today. The Mets are likely to play the three-game Wild Card series on the road, although there is the chance the team can play their way into a home series with a strong final month. The Mets face a fairly tough path to the postseason, however, with their opponents collectively sporting a .523 winning percentage.
September is all about scoreboard watching, and there are a lot of different teams that Mets fans can keep an eye on this month. With 25 games left to go in the 2025 regular season, here are some teams of interest for the Mets and the Flushing Faithful to keep a close watch on as the season enters its most critical stretch.
Philadelphia Phillies (79-58)
@ Milwaukee Brewers (3 games)
@ Miami Marlins (3 games)
vs. New York Mets (4 games)
vs. Kansas City Royals (3 games)
@ Los Angeles Dodgers (3 games)
@ Arizona Diamondbacks (3 games)
vs. Miami Marlins (3 games)
vs. Minnesota Twins (3 games)
Opponents’ winning percentage: .517
The Phillies have held first place in the NL East since August 3, and have seen their lead grow to seven games as recently as August 24. The Mets swept the Phillies earlier this week, and it looked like the race could be on in the NL East. However, with the Mets dropping three of four to the Marlins and the Phillies taking three of four from the Braves, they built their cushion back up to six games in the division race.
The Phillies surpassed the Dodgers this weekend for the second-best record in the NL, meaning they would enjoy a bye if the season ended today. Should they fall back into the third spot in the NL, they would face a date with the Mets win the Wild Card round. For the Mets to have any realistic hope of winning the division, they would probably have to sweep the four-game set at Citizens Bank Park. The Mets dropped two of three earlier this season in Philly, and went 4-4 in Philly last year, including a split of the two games there during the NLDS.
The Phillies do have a fairly tough schedule, having to play both the Brewers and the Dodgers on the road in September. The Royals and Diamondbacks, while probably not playoff-bound, are also not necessarily easy opponents. The six games against the Marlins will likely be the wild card factor here, as their play against the Phillies could help lift the Mets up or sink them. The Phillies will also have to navigate the month without Zack Wheeler, their best pitcher for much of the past few years. However, the Phillies remain in an enviable position.
Chicago Cubs (78-59)
vs. Atlanta Braves (3 games)
vs. Washington Nationals (3 games)
@ Atlanta Braves (3 games)
vs. Tampa Bay Rays (3 games)
@ Pittsburgh Pirates (3 games)
@ Cincinnati Reds (4 games)
vs. New York Mets (3 games)
vs. St. Louis Cardinals (3 games)
Opponents’ winning percentage: .471
At one point, the Cubs seemed destined for an NL Central crown, but the Brewers’ mid-season resurgence has pushed them down into the Wild Card race instead. The Cubs currently hold the top spot in the National League, which gives them the benefit of a home playoff series in the Wild Card round. They sit two games ahead of the Padres, and five clear of the Mets. As such, the Mets will be chasing them to try and snag that all important home series.
The Mets have three games at Wrigley Field, which could play a factor, though by the final week of the season things could long be decided. New York took two of three from the Cubs at Citi Field in May, which means a series win here would give them the tiebreaker should the two clubs finish with the same record. Chicago’s schedule is fairly easy, with the Mets and Reds being the only remaining teams in their schedule boasting a winning record.
San Diego Padres (76-61)
vs. Baltimore Orioles (3 games)
@ Colorado Rockies (3 games)
vs. Cincinnati Reds (3 games)
vs. Colorado Rockies (4 games)
@ New York Mets (3 games)
@ Chicago White Sox (3 games)
vs. Milwaukee Brewers (3 games)
vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (3 games)
Opponents’ winning percentage: .434
The Padres currently hold the second Wild Card spot, but also trail the Dodgers by two games in the NL West race. The Mets find themselves three games behind San Diego, but snagging the second Wild Card spot doesn’t really come with a ton of added benefits for New York. They would face the Cubs instead of the Dodgers in the Wild Card round and, if they were to advance, would face the Brewers in the NLDS. Neither of those are really ideal or preferable to the team’s current route as the third Wild Card team—facing the Dodgers/Phillies in the Wild Card and NLDS—though it’s hard to predict how things turn out and which match-up is actually favorable.
For what it’s worth, the Padres have seven games left against the Rockies, which should benefit them down the stretch. The Mets host the Padres for three games, so if they can keep the deficit within three games, they have a chance to pass them up. However, the Padres swept the Mets at Petco Park in July, so just one win at Citi Field would give them the tiebreaker. Given their very favorable schedule, it’s unlikely the Mets will finish ahead of the Padres in the standings barring some sort of late season collapse, but hey, stranger things have happened.
Cincinnati Reds (69-68)
vs. Toronto Blue Jays (3 games)
vs. New York Mets (3 games)
@ San Diego Padres (3 games)
@ Athletics (3 games)
@ St. Louis Cardinals (3 games)
vs. Chicago Cubs (4 games)
vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (3 games)
@ Milwaukee Brewers (3 games)
Reds opponents’ winning percentage: .532
On August 21, the Reds (69-68) had closed the gap in the Wild Card race to a half-game on the Mets. At that point, it looked like New York would mainly be focusing their attention and energy on holding off Cincinnati’s ballclub, and the upcoming three-game set at Great American Ball Park seemed to carry huge implications on how the remainder of the season would turn out. However, since then the Reds have dropped seven of nine and have fallen four games back in the Wild Card race while allowing the rest of the field to catch up.
The Reds still present the biggest challenge of all these clubs and are the closest team to the Mets in the Wild Card standings. Cincinnati will face the 79-58 Blue Jays at home before hosting the Mets, and that’ll present its own challenge as the scuffling Reds look to remain in the race and not fall too far behind. The Reds’ schedule is no walk in the park, as they face the Brewers twice and the Cubs once in September, and they also must brave a West Coast road trip that includes a three-game set in San Diego. Needless to say, the Reds have their work cut out for them as they seek their first postseason berth since 2020.
The remaining Wild Card field: San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Arizona Diamondbacks, Miami Marlins
Giants opponents’ winning percentage: .464
Cardinals opponents’ winning percentage: .536
Diamondbacks opponents’ winning percentage: .527
Marlins opponents’ winning percentage: .477
Beyond the Reds, the Giants (68-69) have surged to five games back after winning seven of their last eight games. They also play the Rockies six more times this month, which skews their remaining strength of schedule, because they also take on the Dodgers for seven games. Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks (68-70) sit 5.5 games back while sporting an identical record with the Cardinals (68-70). Arizona also has the luxury of six games against the Rockies, while the Cardinals are tasked with a schedule that includes the Brewers (twice), the Mariners, the Cubs, the Giants, and the Reds. Arizona does conclude their year against the Dodgers and Padres, however. Of these three teams, the Giants have by far the easiest schedule, but none of them have an easy path to the postseason.
Cincinnati has a 3.8% at making the Wild Card, according to Fangraphs, while the Giants, Diamondbacks, and Cardinals see their odds at 1.8%, 1.3%, and 0.8%, respectively. The only other team in the NL with a chance of making the postseason, according to Fangraphs, is the Marlins, with a 0.1% chance—they currently sit eight back of the Mets following their weekend series win. Insert the Dumb and Dumber meme here.