As the MLB regular season nears an end, the AL and NL wild-card races are emerging as the biggest storylines to follow. Both could be impacted by Hurricane Helene.
While it’s the Florida panhandle that is expected to receive the brunt of Helene, a double shot of unrelated storms followed by rain from the hurricane could wreak havoc on Truist Park in Atlanta just as the Braves are trying to surge into the postseason.
With matchups against two other wild-card contenders, including a critical series against the Mets, the Braves might have a scheduling mess on their hands.
Here are the latest weather updates as Hurricane Helene moves toward the southeast United States.
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Latest news, updates on Hurricane Helene’s impact on MLB playoff standings, schedule
Hurricane Helene, which is currently a Category 1 storm but is expected to strengthen to at least Category 3 before it makes landfall, is set to impact the Atlanta area as a tropical storm overnight Thursday into Friday.
That puts Thursday’s game between the Mets and Braves at serious risk, but MLB couldn’t simply arrange a doubleheader on Wednesday because unrelated storms are set to pass through Atlanta throughout the day.
Roughly 2-3 inches of rain are expected to fall during the day Wednesday in Atlanta, according to The Weather Channel, with more than a 75 percent chance of rain after 3 p.m. ET. That could make Wednesday’s game unplayable as well, putting the league in a difficult position.
At this time, no games have been postponed. Both Wednesday and Thursday’s games between the Braves and Mets are still scheduled, but it’s fair to have serious doubts that either will be played on time.
The Braves and Mets still have hope of playing Wednesday’s game, according to MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo. Current forecasts give the Atlanta area a 76 percent chance of rain at 7 p.m. ET and a 94 percent chance at 9 p.m. ET.
Helene has officially strengthened into a hurricane, per news services covering the storm, but it won’t arrive in Atlanta until Thurs/Fri. The more pressing issue for Mets-Braves tonight is a band of weather in front of Helene. Right now, the intention is still to try to play.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) September 25, 2024
Rain from Hurricane Helene isn’t expected to taper off until the middle of the day Friday, so the possibility of a Mets-Braves doubleheader on Monday is worth keeping in mind despite no official word from MLB.
Hurricane Helene path tracker
Hurricane Helene is currently a Category 1 storm, but it’s expected to strengthen into a major hurricane (Category 3 or stronger) before making landfall on the Florida panhandle near Tallahassee on Thursday night. The projected path, from the National Weather Service, can be found here.
The cone static image from the National Weather Service can be seen below.
Here is what the storm looked like on satellite images as of early Wednesday morning. The map also shows a line of clouds moving toward Atlanta — those are the storms expected to hit the area on Wednesday, before Helene arrives closer to the weekend.
This was what we didn’t want to see this AM. Storm is getting much stronger. And wider. Current satellite. https://t.co/Hk3pbO7x8H pic.twitter.com/GI9CSoKc4A
— Mike’s Weather Page (@tropicalupdate) September 25, 2024
Helene is expected to weaken considerably before reaching Atlanta, but it’s the storm’s massive footprint of rain that could cause major scheduling problems for the final week of the Braves’ season.
MORE: Updated Mets playoff picture
Braves-Mets playoff picture
Any hope of the series between the Braves and Mets losing meaning was erased on Tuesday when Atlanta managed a 5-1 win over New York. The victory pulled the Braves (86-71) within a game of the Mets (87-70) and a half-game of the Diamondbacks (87-71) in the NL wild-card picture as the three teams compete for two spots.
Given two of those three teams still have two games to play against one another, there is likely no getting around having to play out the series — even if it has to be after Sunday’s slate finishes up.
Braves schedule
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) |
| Sept. 25 | vs. Mets | 7:20 p.m. |
| Sept. 26 | vs. Mets | 7:20 p.m. |
| Sept. 27 | vs. Royals | 7:20 p.m. |
| Sept. 28 | vs. Royals | 7:20 p.m. |
| Sept. 29 | vs. Royals | 3:20 p.m. |
The Braves finish their season against the Royals, who are also fighting for a wild-card spot in the American League. Kansas City has some cushion with a two-game lead, but Atlanta’s final series could very well mean something for both teams.
Fortunately, rain is currently expected to move out of the area by the middle of the day on Friday. Intense rain Wednesday and Thursday could cause flooding in the area and impact field conditions Friday regardless of how well Truist Park prepares for the storm, but the outlook for the Braves-Royals series is much better than Atlanta’s series with the Mets.
MORE: Updated Braves playoff picture
Mets schedule
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) |
| Sept. 25 | at Braves | 7:20 p.m. |
| Sept. 26 | at Braves | 7:20 p.m. |
| Sept. 27 | at Brewers | 8:10 p.m. |
| Sept. 28 | at Brewers | 7:15 p.m. |
| Sept. 29 | at Brewers | 3:10 p.m. |
The Mets will head to Milwaukee after leaving Atlanta, and they will be glad to see an indoor stadium with no risk of postponements. The Brewers have already clinched the NL Central and might not have any hope of earning a bye by the time the weekend series arrives, so it could be a soft landing spot for the Mets as Milwaukee prepares for the postseason.
At this point, the burning question is whether the Mets will have to go back to Atlanta for any games Monday after the series up north.
