4 Contenders That Won't Make the MLB Playoffs

The playoff hunt is in full swing right now and with little under two months to go, there are only a few clear-cut contenders that are postseason-bound. The rest of the field - especially in the National League - are in the middle of a dogfight for a spot in October. However, only a select few will have a chance at postseason glory while the rest of the pack will have to watch the playoffs from their couches come regular season's end.

With that in mind, here are four contenders who won't make the 2019 MLB Postseason.

4. Washington Nationals

The Washington Nationals (61-53) have been surging since the beginning of June, but the hole that they've dug themselves into early on might be their undoing. The Nationals currently have a two game lead for the first NL Wild Card spot, but injuries have taken their toll at the wrong time now that Cy Young favorite Max Scherzer is on the injured list. With 28 games against postseason contenders remaining on their schedule, (New York Mets, Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs) the Nationals have little room for error and if they slip up even the tiniest bit, they may miss the playoffs.

3. Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays (66-50) have been a consistent fixture in the playoff hunt since day one of the season and currently sit in the second AL Wild Card spot. However, there's a distinct possibility that they fall just short of a postseason berth. Carried by their incredible pitching throughout the year (3.55 ERA, No. 2 in MLB), The Rays will be without aces Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell for a good part of the stretch run with a tough slate remaining that includes matchups with the Boston Red Sox (four games), Cleveland Indians (three games), Houston Astros (three games), Los Angeles Dodgers (two games) and New York Yankees (two games) one slip-up here or there could see them outside the postseason picture at the end of the year.

2. St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals (58-55) sit just 3.5 games out of the NL Central and have the talent necessary to contend for a World Series, but translating that potential into wins has been a struggle as of late. St. Louis owns a miserable 2-8 record over its last 10 games and things don't get much better from here on out. The Cards have 23 games remaining against NL playoff contenders (Nationals, Brewers, Cubs, San Francisco Giants) and unless they can turn things around quickly, it's more likely than not that they'll finish the season outside the playoff picture.

1. Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies (59-55) are tied with the Brewers for the second NL Wild Card spot, but have barely been treading water (5-5 in last 10 games) heading into mid-August due to key losses like Andrew McCutchen (Torn ACL) and Odubel Herrera (Suspension). Additionally, the club has received substandard production from stars like Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto. Philly has 25 games remaining against teams currently in the National League playoff hunt (Nationals, Mets, Giants, Cubs). Unless they can turn things around and put distance between their competition, the Phillies may be on the outside looking in come October.

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Mike Esposito is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Mike Esposito also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username espo6891. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.