Before the start of this season, the expectations for the Chicago Cubs weren't exactly high. While yes, they did sign shortstop Dansby Swanson to a long-term contract and Cody Bellinger on a one-year flyer, the team was expected to sell by the trade deadline. Instead, the team was winning games behind a tremendous comeback season by Bellinger and decided to buy in.

As of Sept. 12, the Cubs are 78-67 on the year, sitting in the second Wild Card spot in the National League. They are just three games back of the Milwaukee Brewers for first place in the NL Central. As for the Wild Card situation, they are one of six teams looking to grab the three spots available.

So, Cubs fans want to know -- when can the team clinch their first playoff berth since the 2020 season? Let's look at their magic number to see how far they are from actually doing it.

What is the Chicago Cubs magic number as of Sept. 12?

As of the morning of Sept. 12, the Cubs' magic number is set at 15.

For those not sure what magic number means, it's a way to determine how close a team is to clinching a postseason berth. Specifically, the exact magic number is determined by this formula, courtesy of MLB.com: Games remaining +1 - (Losses by second place team - losses by first place team)

So, for every game said team wins, the number decreases by one. The number also decreases by one when Chicago's closest competitor loses a game.

The Cubs currently hold a two-game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks (76-69) for the second Wild Card spot. As for the first Wild Card spot, they are 1.5 games back of the Philadelphia Phillies (79-65). The Miami Marlins (74-70), San Francisco Giants (74-70), and Cincinnati Reds (74-71) are within two games back of the Diamondbacks for the final Wild Card spot.