The 2026 Major League Baseball postseason begins Tuesday with a quadruple-header of wild-card games. Eight teams will compete in the opening round, with the American League matchups featuring the New York Yankees against the Boston Red Sox and the Houston Astros against the Chicago White Sox. The National League will see the Philadelphia Phillies face the Atlanta Braves and the San Diego Padres take on the Chicago Cubs.
MLB Wild Card Round Set for Tuesday Start
The series are structured as best-of-three matchups. In the American League, the New York Yankees, the fourth seed and first AL Wild Card, hold home-field advantage over the fifth-seeded Boston Red Sox. All potential games in that series will be played at Yankee Stadium, starting Tuesday, September 29, followed by Wednesday, September 30, and a potential deciding game on Thursday, October 1.
Braves and Phillies Clash in National League
The National League opener features the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies. According to ESPN, Ronald Acuña Jr. and the Braves will begin their postseason campaign against the Phillies on Tuesday afternoon.
Atlanta enters the series after winning its first division title since 2023, a turnaround following a postseason-less 2025. This shift followed a coaching staff refresh and a change in leadership, with Walt Weiss replacing the retired Brian Snitker as manager. The Braves will rely on ace Chris Sale, an NL Cy Young finalist, to start Game 1. Other key contributors for Atlanta include first baseman Matt Olson, 2025 NL Rookie of the Year Drake Baldwin, and Michael Harris II, who led the team in bWAR.
The Phillies seek to reach the NLDS for the fifth straight year. While their offense is viewed as a variable, Philadelphia relies on a starting rotation featuring Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Sánchez, and Jesus Luzardo. Luzardo recently returned to the staff on Sunday after being shut down since September 7 due to shoulder inflammation. A critical factor for Philadelphia will be shortstop Trea Turner, who is coming off the worst season of his career.
Padres and Cubs Face Off
In the other National League series, the San Diego Padres will face the Chicago Cubs. The Padres will start Game 1 with pitcher Michael King, who led the team with 185 innings and a 3.21 ERA. San Diego also features 20-year-old Ethan Salas, who will be the youngest catcher to ever appear in the postseason. If King struggles, the Padres may turn to Walker Buehler or Nick Pivetta, who recently returned from the injured list.
The Chicago Cubs bring veteran experience to the series, including third baseman Alex Bregman, who is appearing in his 10th consecutive postseason across three different teams, and 39-year-old reliever Caleb Thielbar. The Red Sox, meanwhile, will look to first baseman Willson Contreras as their primary offensive weapon after he returned Sunday as a DH following a hand injury sustained on September 17.
Award Winners and Standouts
The 2026 postseason features several projected award winners. According to USA Today, the following players are expected to secure major honors:
- Yordan Alvarez (Houston Astros): Projected American League MVP.
- Cam Schlittler (New York Yankees): Projected AL Cy Young winner; he is scheduled to pitch Game 1 against Boston.
- Junior Caminero (Tampa Bay Rays): Expected to finish as the AL MVP runner-up.
The Yankees enter their series against Boston having won seven of 13 regular-season meetings against the Red Sox, including a 4-2 record at Yankee Stadium. New York also won the 2025 Wild Card series against Boston after recovering from an initial Game 1 loss.
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