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With just three full weeks remaining in Major League Baseball's regular season, every passing day and game seems to carry greater significance than the one it follows. That isn't necessarily the case, of course; a win in September technically counts the same as a win in April. But, now that the playoff pictures have cleared up after more than five months of action, it's easier to understand the exact implications at hand for any given contest on any given night. 

In turn, the schedule is one of the greatest X-factors in any given season. MLB designs the calendar to be as fair as possible by having a set number of divisional games and contests against other teams. Still, the reality is that some contenders are going to land a more (or less) favorable draw for the final few weeks than others. Again, there's no ill intent behind it. That's just sport.

With that in mind, we here at CBS Sports wanted to highlight the five contenders who have the easiest remaining schedules, as well as the five contenders with the toughest remaining slates.

First, some housekeeping. We defined a "contender" as any team within five games of a playoff spot entering today. We also determined the order by using Tankathon's strength of schedule metric, which is the remaining opponents' composite winning percentage. (Do note we've included each team's series; assume that those are three-game sets unless otherwise noted.) All playoff chances are via SportsLine.

Now, let's get to it, beginning with the easiest schedules.

Easiest remaining schedules

1. San Diego Padres: 45.9% opponents' winning percentage

The Padres have the majors' second-easiest remaining schedule per this methodology. How can that be when four of their six foes are competitive? Blame it on the ineptitude of the White Sox and Rockies, two teams so poor that they anchor San Diego's composite opponent's winning percentage. Another factor that works in the Padres' favor, albeit one not included in the above numbers, is how they'll play 13 of their 19 remaining contests at home. As rough as things have been as of late for the Padres, their schedule gives them a leg up in the NL West race.

2. Seattle Mariners: 47.5%

As we chronicled over the weekend, the Mariners have had ample opportunity to catch up to or overtake the Astros during the second half. They haven't capitalized on those chances, at least not yet, and it's to be seen if they'll fare better over the rest of the regular season. That remaining series against the Astros will be pivotal if the AL West remains tight: whichever team takes that three-game set will also clinch the divisional tiebreaker. 

3. New York Yankees: 47.7%

Yankees fans have plenty of reasons to be annoyed. The schedule isn't one of those items, however, as New York will not play another playoff team this regular season after wrapping up next weekend's series against the Red Sox. In other words: the Yankees will finish the season with two consecutive weeks of games played against non-competitive squads. If you're looking for an X-factor in a close AL East race, the Yankees' cupcake final fortnight might prove to be it. 

4. Los Angeles Dodgers: 48.3%

  • Series remaining: Rockies, at Giants, Phillies, Giants (four), at Diamondbacks, at Mariners
  • Playoff chances: 97.5%

In the Padres' capsule above, we noted how the Rockies are so putrid that they skew the composite winning percentage in a meaningful way. That's the case here, too. After their series with the Rockies, the Dodgers will round out the year with five consecutive series against playoff hopefuls. That stretch includes six consecutive road games to close out the schedule. As such, the Dodgers' schedule isn't as easy as the number indicates. But if they can handle business against the Rockies this week, they will be in a better position to stomach what comes afterward.

5. San Francisco Giants: 48.5%

  • Series remaining: Diamondbacks, Dodgers, at Diamondbacks, at Dodgers, Cardinals, Rockies
  • Playoff chances: 10.4%

Once more, we must point out how the Rockies' abysmal season skews the numbers. The Giants will otherwise finish their season with five of six series coming against potential playoff teams, including nine games versus the Diamondbacks and Cardinals -- two of the teams they're competing with directly for positioning in the wild card race. So, while the number above belies the difficulty of the Giants' schedule, they do in fact have a chance to help their playoff push.

2025 MLB playoff picture: Baseball standings, projections, odds as AL West, NL wild card races heat up
Kate Feldman
2025 MLB playoff picture: Baseball standings, projections, odds as AL West, NL wild card races heat up

Toughest remaining schedules 

1. St. Louis Cardinals: 55.6% 

  • Series remaining: at Mariners, at Brewers, Reds, Brewers, at Giants, and at Cubs
  • Playoff chances: <1%

The Cardinals are the farthest from a playoff spot of any team we included in this piece. That alone gives them a difficult road to October, no matter who they had left on their schedule. Unfortunately, they'll also be tasked with a challenging path that includes nothing but series against contending clubs. If there's any silver lining to be found here, it's that the Cardinals can make up a lot of ground in a quick manner if they're able to get hot at the right time. Realistically, though, it's probably fair to discount their chances of making a real run at the postseason. 

2. Cincinnati Reds: 52.4%

  • Series remaining: at Padres, at Athletics, at Cardinals, Cubs (four), Pirates, and at Brewers
  • Playoff chances: 6.7%

The difference between the Cardinals and Reds might be overstated by the numbers. That's because the Reds have two "easy" series remaining, against the Athletics and the Pirates, yet both of those teams have played winning baseball since the All-Star Game. If you believe those squads are better than their overall records indicate -- and, hey, perhaps that's falling victim to recency bias -- then the Reds' path forward looks a heck of a lot tougher.

3. Arizona Diamondbacks: 52.1%

  • Series remaining: at Giants, at Twins, Giants, Phillies, Dodgers, and at Padres
  • Playoff chances: 5%

The Diamondbacks are the fourth NL West team to receive a ranking in this article, but they're the first and only of the bunch listed on this side of the ledger. That's because, unlike their divisional counterparts, they do not have any remaining games versus the Rockies. What the D-backs have instead are series versus those three other NL West clubs: the Giants, Dodgers, and Padres. Even in the face of some mighty challenges, of the injury and deadline sell-off varieties, the D-backs find themselves in the mix and playing meaningful baseball late in the season. That's a win unto itself.

4. Tampa Bay Rays: 52%

  • Series remaining: at White Sox, at Cubs, Blue Jays (four), Red Sox, at Orioles, and at Blue Jays
  • Playoff chances: 1.3%

The Rays enter the week having lost three games in a row. A weeklong visit to Chicago, specifically a three-game set against the lowly White Sox, could help get them back on track. After that, the Rays will play three against the Cubs before finishing their season with 13 consecutive games against AL East foes -- with 10 of those coming against teams ahead of them in the standings. The Rays have had to endure a lot this season, like playing in a rival's spring training facility after a hurricane damaged Tropicana Field's domed roof, so what's one more tall task?

5. Boston Red Sox: 51.9%

  • Series remaining: at Athletics, Yankees, Athletics, at Rays, at Blue Jays, and Tigers
  • Playoff chances: 95.5%

The Red Sox's schedule might be even tougher than this ranking indicates, depending on how you feel about the Athletics. Although the A's have a losing record on the season -- and their overall winning percentage is the number being used here -- they've played above .500 since the All-Star Game. Wherever you fall on that matter, it's clear that the Red Sox will have their hands full as they attempt to run down the Blue Jays and Yankees in the AL East.