Five NL teams under the most pressure before the MLB trade deadline

When this time of year hits on the Major League Baseball calendar, pressure can be defined in many different ways.

For some teams, riding high at the MLB trade deadline means acquiring the right players. For others, it's about building for the future by making smart deals.

With that in mind, here are five NL teams facing pressure between now and this year's MLB trade deadline on Aug. 3.

Atlanta Braves 

Leading the NL East by 2.0 games over the Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta still has plenty of work to do to claim its first division title since 2023.

The Braves host the AL West-leading Rangers for three games and the San Diego Padres for four games to open up the second half, the toughest part of their schedule before the trade deadline. For a team that lost 19 of its final 29 games before the Midsummer Classic, starting hot is going to be necessary.

New York Mets 

It's been a season to forget so far in Queens, and the 40-57 Mets have a gauntlet to open up the second half. They start with a six-game road swing through Philadelphia and Milwaukee before coming home to face the Dodgers, Braves and Marlins.

That leads them right to the MLB trade deadline, where this team could look a lot different in mid-August if the Mets decide to move who they can and start over. 

A late July/early August rally seems unlikely, but no team will be more under the microscope for its struggles than the high-payroll and low-performing Mets.

Philadelphia Phillies 

The Phillies ditched manager Rob Thomson in the hopes it would get them in a position to succeed in October. Now, Philadelphia finds itself breathing down Atlanta's neck in the NL East standings.

Dave Dombrowski has the chance to add to the rotation or outfield at the trade deadline, and the moves made could either catapult the Phillies forward or be the final breaking point in what has been a tumultuous season in the City of Brotherly Love.

San Diego Padres  

One of the biggest rules for this time of year? Never underestimate A.J. Preller at the trade deadline. However, this year's focus for Preller may certainly be different than deadlines past.

There are plenty of questions about the Padres potentially being sellers, entering the All-Star break 12.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. However, the Padres are also just 3.5 games out of the wild-card chase.

Will the Padres deal All-Star closer Mason Miller? Will they really be sellers more than buyers? A lot could be answered after a 10-game road trip to open the second half that includes four games in Atlanta and three games in Miami.

San Francisco Giants

Speaking of seasons that haven't gone according to expectations, the Giants certainly aren't where they thought they would be under first-year skipper Tony Vitello. Sure, there might have been some growing pains. But a roster with Willy Adames, Rafael Devers and Luis Arraez should be doing more than struggling to stay out of the division cellar.

What will Buster Posey do with this roster before the trade deadline? Arraez and Robbie Ray could be on the move, but what about some of the other big names? The Giants have a 0.5 percent chance to make the postseason, per FanGraphs, so any selling this season could be pivotal for what San Francisco's chances of contending look like next season and beyond.