Philadelphia Phillies first base Bryce Harper reacts in front of New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (4) after hitting a home run during the seventh inning at Citizens Bank Park.

The Philadelphia Phillies are in the midst of another great season. Currently sitting in first place in the National League East, the Phillies could very well be on their way to a second consecutive division title and fourth straight playoff appearance. However, they have not accomplished either of those feats just yet.

With just 15 games left on their schedule, it won't be long before the Phillies punch their ticket to the postseason yet again – or, should fate be dreadfully against them, they fail to reach the playoffs altogether. As unlikely as it may sound, it is still a mathematical possibility.

But with such massive margin for error, the Phillies have an exceptionally long leash. They could drop more than a few games, even go .500 the rest of the season and still finish the year with a massive lead over the second-place New York Mets.

Here is the team's magic number as we get closer to October baseball:

What is the Phillies' magic number?

The Phillies currently have three magic numbers: one to clinch a playoff berth, one to clinch an NL East title and one to secure a first-round bye.

Phillies magic numbers

After Sept. 11 games:

  • Clinch postseason berth: 4
  • Clinch NL East title: 5
  • Clinch first-round bye: 12

Current NL Playoff standings

If the MLB playoffs were to start Thursday, Sept. 11, here would be the standings in the National League:

  1. Milwaukee Brewers: 89-58 (first-round bye)
  2. Philadelphia Phillies: 87-60 (first-round bye)
  3. Los Angeles Dodgers: 82-64
  4. Chicago Cubs: 83-63 (wild card)
  5. San Diego Padres: 79-67 (wild card)
  6. New York Mets: 76-71 (wild card)

In the Hunt:

  • Cincinnati Reds: 74-72
  • San Francisco Giants: 74-72
  • Arizona Diamondbacks: 73-74
  • St. Louis Cardinals: 72-75

What is a "magic number"?

The term "magic number" is a figure that indicates how close a team is to securing a postseason berth, division title, or wild card berth. The figure indicates how many wins or losses by their closest competitor is needed in order to achieve a certain goal.

Every win decreases the number by one. Every loss by the team's closest competitor lowers the number by one as well.

Phillies remaining schedule

  • Sept. 12-14: vs. Kansas City Royals
  • Sept. 15-17: at Los Angeles Dodgers
  • Sept. 19-21: at Arizona Diamondbacks
  • Sept. 23-25: vs. Miami Marlins
  • Sept. 26-28: vs. Minnesota Twins

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Phillies magic number: How soon can Philadelphia clinch playoff berth, NL East?

Reporting by Jon Hoefling, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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