****

The concluding chapter of the 2024 MLB regular season is upon us, but for some teams, the journey might extend beyond the scheduled 162 games. The spotlight is squarely on the National League wild-card race, where the Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, and Arizona Diamondbacks are vying for the final two postseason slots.

As Sunday dawns, 28 of the 30 MLB teams are wrapping up their regular-season affairs. However, the intricacies of the schedule mean the Braves and Mets could be in action until Monday. Ten of the 12 playoff berths are already secured, with the American League teams having settled all but their wild-card seeding. In the National League, the competition remains fierce, with two wild-card spots still in contention.

The current wild-card standings place the Mets and Diamondbacks in a virtual tie for the third spot. Meanwhile, the Braves, who hold a one-game lead, face the prospect of playing up to three more regular-season games. This makes for a tense finale, where all 15 scheduled games on Sunday will start simultaneously at 3 p.m. ET to heighten the drama.

Seeding scenarios in the American League are less consequential. The Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals have locked in the No. 5 and 6 seeds respectively, pending the final order determined on Sunday. The Tigers can clinch the No. 5 seed with a win or a Royals loss, while Kansas City needs both a win and a Tigers loss to move up.

For the Braves, the path to clinching a postseason berth is straightforward. A win or a Diamondbacks loss on Sunday would secure their place. As they can’t be eliminated on Sunday, if they clinch a spot, the importance of Monday’s doubleheader against the Mets would diminish to mere seeding purposes.

The Mets find themselves needing both a win and a D-backs loss on Sunday to punch their postseason ticket. Should they succeed, the doubleheader with the Braves would become redundant for clinching purposes and might be canceled if Sunday determines both teams' fates.

Arizona faces the steepest climb. Losing season series tiebreakers to both the Braves and Mets puts them in a precarious spot. They require a win coupled with losses from both the Braves and Mets to secure their playoff position. This scenario would still necessitate Monday’s games to settle the final wild-card berth.

Sunday’s outcomes could yield one of eight potential scenarios for the NL wild-card race, making for a thrilling end to the regular season and potentially extending the suspense into Monday. Fans and teams alike are bracing for a dramatic finish as every pitch and play will carry immense weight.