Jeff Passan points out the obvious:

Were the postseason to begin today, the National League’s second- and third-best teams would play each other in a single winner-takes-all game for the honor of going on the road and playing a series against the best team in baseball. In the meantime, the teams with the fourth- and fifth-best records in the league would face off for a ticket to the NLCS.

Yes, to the victor’s go the spoils, but that’s wrong. The perfect example is the Pittsburgh Pirates, trailing St. Louis by six games, but with the second best record in baseball.