MLB Standings: Pirates & Cubs Hold NL Wild Card Spots; Cardinals, Dodgers, Mets Lead Divisions

By Damon Salvadore First Posted: Aug 31, 2015 12:47 PM EDT

As we head into September, baseball's division races are getting tighter and tighter with so little room for error, and the wild card races couldn't be more exciting.

The Pittsburgh Pirates own the top wild card spot in the National League with a 79-50 record. Outfielder Andrew McCutchen is having another great season with a team-leading 85 runs batted in, .305 batting average, and 75 hits. Surprisingly, Dominican infielder Pedro Álvarez now leads the Pirates in home runs hit with 21. The Pirates offense ranks a modest 14th overall in runs scored but rank eighth in total hits.

On the defensive side, pitcher Gerrit Cole ranks near the top in the win category with 15 victories. The Pirates rank second in team ERA this season behind only the St. Louis Cardinals. Unfortunately for the Pirates, those Cardinals have a 4.5 game lead in the National League Central. The Cardinals have been by far the best team in all of baseball this year with exceptional pitching all season long. It will be extremely difficult for the Pirates to catch the Cardinals, but again, they are in the driver's seat for the top wild card spot.

The Pirates have qualified as a wild card team the last two seasons. If the Pirates can make the playoffs this year, it would be the first time since the early 1990s (1990, 1991, 1992) that they will have made the postseason three consecutive seasons.

The Chicago Cubs hold the second wild card spot with a 74-55 record. Just like the Pirates, the Cubs have the unfortunate pleasure of playing in the NL Central so they are the third place team in the division 9.5 games behind the Cardinals. The Cubs haven't won the World Series since 1908. They haven't even made the playoffs since 2008, but something feels different this year in the Windy City.

Pitcher Jake Arrieta recently pitched a no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers to pick up his league leading 17th win of the season. The Cubs rank seventh overall in team ERA but just 19th in runs scored this season. The Cubs and Cardinals will begin a huge three game series against one another beginning Sept. 7.

If the season were to end today, the Pirates and Cubs would play each other in a one game playoff. The winner of that game would go on to face the No. 1 seed Cardinals in the second round. The Mets and Dodgers would play each other in the second round.

Speaking of the Dodgers, big concerns are starting to creep in. The Dodgers offense (which has been no-hit twice in the last nine days) has been terrible over the last month, and Yasiel Puig has another hamstring injury. The Dodgers still lead the National League West over the San Francisco Giants, but they're not playing like a championship squad at the moment.

The Mets have taken control over the National League East with a 5.5 game lead over the Washington Nationals. The Mets have won eight of their last 10 games with exceptional pitching, and their bats have come alive. Fortunately for the Mets, their next six games will be against the Miami Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies, which will be a great opportunity to extend their division lead. The Mets last made the playoffs in 2006.