Reds clinch MLB playoff spot, take advantage of Mets' collapse to secure wild card berth

This marks Cincinnati's first postseason berth since 2020

The Cincinnati Reds are going back to the postseason. The Reds clinched a spot in the tournament Sunday when the New York Mets lost to the Miami Marlins (MIA 4, NYM 0). Cincinnati needed a win over the Milwaukee Brewers or a Mets loss, and New York obliged. The Reds lost their game to the Brewers (MIL 4, CIN 2). A Mets win would have put them in. Instead, they're going home.

With New York's loss Sunday, the National League postseason field is set. Here is the NL bracket:

• Bye: Brewers and Phillies
• Wild card: Padres at Cubs (winner plays Brewers)
• Wild card: Reds at Dodgers (winner plays Phillies)

The last time the Reds qualified for the postseason, they were swept in the best-of-three Wild Card Series by the Atlanta Braves in 2020, and they did not score a run in the two games. Cincinnati has not won a postseason series since sweeping the Dodgers in the 1995 NLDS, the year Hall of Famer Barry Larkin was named NL MVP.

Sunday's loss dropped the Reds to 83-79, making them just the third team since 2000 (excluding the pandemic-shortened 2020 season) to make the playoffs with 83 or fewer wins, joining the 2005 Padres and the 2006 Cardinals. The Reds took a 90 OPS+ into Sunday's game, the fifth-worst mark in the league, though they are a more respectable 15th in runs scored per game. Cincinnati has sequenced well this year, meaning they've bunched their hits together and made the most out of the few rallies the offense gave them.

By WAR, the Reds have the second-best rotation in baseball behind Philadelphia, and their bullpen is middle of the pack. Hunter Greene is a bona fide ace and lefties Andrew Abbott and Nick Lodolo are more than qualified No. 2 and 3 starters. If the Reds scratch out enough runs and get solid bullpen work, they're a dangerous team.

Cincinnati was three games behind the Mets for the third wild card spot on Sept. 16. The Reds are 9-2 since then while the Mets have gone 5-6. New York had baseball's best record on June 12 and they have the fifth-worst record since. Give the Reds credit for playing well the last few weeks and getting a wild card spot. Make no mistake though, the Mets collapsed hard.