PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Phillies are on the verge of clinching a spot in the Major League Baseball postseason for the third consecutive season.
There are two ways the Phillies can make the playoffs: by winning the National League East Division crown or by clinching a spot as a National League Wild Card team.
Currently, the Phillies are leading the National League East over the New York Mets.
According to MLB, a team's magic number represents the combination of wins needed by that team and losses by its closest competitor to clinch a given goal.
The Phillies' magic number to win the National League East is
5
That means that any combination of Phillies' wins and Mets' losses will result in the Phillies winning the division title and returning to the MLB Postseason.
Currently, the earliest possible clinch date for the Phillies is Sept. 19 against the New York Mets.