Sep 1, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos (8) celebrates his walk-off single during the eleventh inning against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
© Eric Hartline | 2024 Sep 1The Phillies haven't won the National League East since 2011. But after they took three of four games from the Braves in a raucous Citizens Bank Park this weekend, fans are rediscovering the long-forgotten art of calculating a "magic number."
The magic number is defined as the combined number of wins for the first-place Phils or losses for the second-place team (currently the Braves) that would clinch the division.
For example, as of Monday morning, the Phillies' magic number over the Braves is 19. Each Phillies win or Braves loss will reduce that figure by one, and when it reaches zero, it will be mathematically impossible for the Braves to win the division.
Simple enough. But what sorcery produced the number 19?
Your friends at OnPattison are here to help:
- Start with 162.
- Subtract the number of wins for the first team (currently 81 for the Phillies).
- Subtract the number of losses for the second team (currently 63 for the Braves).
- Add one.
And that's it. Right now, 162-81-63+1 = 19.
Advanced students can also calculate a magic number for the Phillies to clinch a top-two seed and a bye over the Milwaukee Brewers, who currently have an 80-57 record:
162-81-57+1 = 25.
