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Fifteen years ago this month, at the end of June 2009, the National League wild-card standings were memorably tight. Then, there were only two wild-card teams per league and the difference between the second entrant and the team in ninth place was just 3.5 games. After being informed of those standings from 15 years ago, a current NL executive chuckled as he considered this season's wild-card race.
"2009 can hold my beer," he said. "This is going to be crazy."
The parity in the NL is striking -- so much so that some would call it mediocrity.