Wild Card baseball is officially here, and Tuesday cannot get here fast enough! The Padres are absolutely on fire, rolling into these best-of-three series with some serious momentum. They put up a ridiculous 35-17 record over the season’s final two months. Their offense, which looked rough early on, transformed from baseball’s worst at the break to one of the best in the sport by the second half. Fernando Tatis Jr. launched 25 homers in his last 104 games, and get this: he and Jackson Merrill are the only teammates in MLB to hit 25-25 this season!
Padres’ Bullpen Intimidation vs. Cubs’ MVP Power
The Padres’ bullpen and closer, Mason Miller, are MLB’s most intimidating, no joke. Plus, they get to play this series at home, where they posted a solid 51-30 record. Their X-factor? A 20-year-old phenom named Ethan Salas. He’s set to become the youngest catcher ever to play in a postseason game. Salas shook off an 0-for-14 start to his career, then went 10-for-25 with a homer in his last 10 games, stepping up huge in their postseason-clinching win. You know he’s gonna be involved.
But seriously, don’t sleep on the Cubs. They’ve got NL MVP favorite Pete Crow-Armstrong leading an offense with baseball’s highest slugging percentage and OPS. And their defense? Best in baseball, period, by all metrics. Their pitching raises some eyebrows, but that defense can mask a lot if they keep the ball in the park. The Cubs’ X-factor is Alex Bregman. After taking a foul ball to the face a week ago, he responded with a crazy 4-for-4, two-homer game in the finale! His 1.010 OPS in the second half makes him Crow-Armstrong’s co-star, proving that five-year, $175 million deal was money well spent. Their offense wasn’t great in September, but Bregman’s back.
Phillies’ Star Power Ready For The Big Stage
Next up, the Phillies. These guys got serious star power and know this stage cold. It’s their fifth straight postseason trip with a core that includes Kyle Schwarber, who tied for MLB’s home run lead, and All-Star Bryce Harper. Yeah, their rotation isn’t perfectly lined up after Zack Wheeler had to pitch in Sunday’s finale thanks to a late-season slide. But they still boast some of the best high-end starting pitching out there. Cy Young contender Cristopher Sánchez is good to go for Game 2. And if the season’s on the line, you know Wheeler might still find his way into the mix. Their X-factor is Jesús Luzardo. The last time he saw the Braves, Luzardo threw a complete-game, 12-strikeout shutout on September 7. That was also his last full start. Imagine that fire!
So, who’s moving on from the Cubs-Padres slugfest? The smart money says the Padres. Both these teams had incredible offenses after the break, but the Cubs’ pitching concerns might just be too big of a hurdle to clear at Petco Park. Get ready for some wild baseball. Tuesday is going to be absolutely electric!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
Leave a Reply