The Atlanta Braves and New York Mets kicked off a pivotal three-game series on Tuesday night, with postseason aspirations hanging in the balance. As things stand, the Mets cling to a precarious half-game lead for a wild-card spot, while the Braves are nipping at their heels, just half a game behind.
The Braves drew first blood, capturing the opening game of the series. With two more games to go, the Mets find themselves in a position to clinch a postseason berth by winning two out of the next three matchups. For Atlanta, while this series won't secure their ticket to the postseason, it provides a crucial opportunity to overtake their rivals and disrupt the wild-card race.
Hurricane Helene Advances
Complicating matters for both teams is the looming threat of Hurricane Helene. Upgraded to a hurricane in the National Hurricane Center's 11 a.m. Wednesday update, Helene is anticipated to make landfall in Florida on Thursday as a powerful Category 3 storm. The impact of the hurricane is expected to be widespread, with heavy rain forecasted to begin in Atlanta by 1 p.m. Wednesday and persist through Friday. Alongside the rain, thunderstorms and tornadoes also remain a distinct possibility.
"Life-threatening storm surge, damaging winds, and flooding rains to a large portion of Florida and the southeastern United States," warned the National Hurricane Center, underlining the severity of the situation.
MLB’s Response and Scheduling Dilemmas
As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, the league had yet to make any schedule adjustments for the series. Thursday's game is currently slated for a 7:20 p.m. ET start, but MLB is contemplating moving it to an earlier time slot, such as 1 p.m. ET or noon ET, to evade the worst of the storm. Another solution on the table is scheduling a doubleheader on Wednesday, thanks to Monday's off-day.
"I have not received any word from MLB as of 5 p.m. Tuesday," commented Mets manager Carlos Mendoza.
Relocating an entire series due to severe weather isn't unprecedented. Previous instances include the Astros vs. Cubs series in 2008, which moved to Milwaukee's Miller Park in response to Hurricane Ike, and the 2017 Rangers vs. Astros series, which relocated to Tampa's Tropicana Field due to Hurricane Harvey. Should relocation become necessary for the Braves and Mets, Globe Life Field in Arlington has emerged as a potential alternate site. However, this option is complex and likely a last resort.
The Immediate Road Forward
Given the tight schedule and postseason implications, the simplest and most efficient options are either moving Thursday's game up earlier in the day or putting a doubleheader on the slate for Wednesday. This would provide a more manageable solution for both the league and the teams, especially considering the Braves do not have immediate travel plans post-series. Conversely, the Mets face a potentially hectic schedule.
Postponing the game to Monday, the off-day between the end of the regular season and the start of the Wild Card Series, is another possibility. However, this would only occur if the game’s outcome significantly impacts postseason qualification. Should no rescheduling be necessary, both teams might end up playing a 161-game season instead of the usual 162.
MLB officials continue to monitor the path of Hurricane Helene closely. With the dual pressure of meteorological uncertainty and the high stakes of the wild-card race, the days ahead promise to be pivotal.