The general myth that once one makes the postseason anything can happen is misleading because while everyone has a puncher’s chance of getting in the playoffs, only 6 teams in each league make the postseason for now.

I don’t bother with the running odds of teams’ chances of making the postseason because it doesn’t take in injuries and other human factors. However, I do believe in looking at the actual number of teams with a chance-of course there is no guarantee.

Entering today’s finale with Arizona, the Cubs are 47-53 and have 62 games to play. One thing those odds do take into account is what a given team can control themselves. Players and managers always talk about what they can control and the perils of scoreboard watching. Yet, one can look at a remaining schedule and figure what is in a team’s control. Because I care, I did just that.

Of the Cubs 62 remaining games, 45 are against teams that are not competing for a wild card spot. This includes all of the AL teams, the Dodgers, Phillies and Brewers. They only play 17 games against the 8 NL teams that are ahead of them in the wildcard race. Because I’m a homer, I’m not including the Nationals because they sit at 46-53 and there’s no way they could catch or surpass the Cubs (saying this in Marc Antony’s voice).

Let’s pretend the did well in those 45 games, they’d need an unusual combo pack of losses from all those other teams ahead of them. I haven’t nor I will do a breakdown of the other teams to see how many games against chasers have against one another.

Luckily, the Cubs do have a few series against NL Central rivals, St. Louis, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh where they can pick up two games with each victory. Losing two of three to Arizona doesn’t help matters though.