Gregory Spicer

Image courtesy of © David Banks-Imagn Images The playoffs are here, and baseball's top teams are preparing for the Wild Card round. Included in these matchups are two of MLB’s most electric teams, the Chicago Cubs (92-70) and the San Diego Padres (90-72). The Cubs will host the Padres at Wrigley Field for a best-of-three series from September 30 to October 2. This heavyweight matchup is projected to be a close battle that could be decided by many different factors. Battle of Superstars Each lineup features two elite talents. Whichever duo performs best will be a huge factor in the overall offensive production of each team. The Cubs lineup has two of baseball's best lefties, Kyle Tucker and Pete Crow-Armstrong. On the Padres' side, they are led by franchise cornerstones Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. All four players had roller coaster seasons, but if any of them catch fire, they can carry their team. Kyle Tucker Stats: .266 / .377 / .464 / 22 HR / 51 XBH / 25 SB / 597 PA Pete Crow Armstrong Stats: .247 / .287 / .481 / 31 HR / 72 XBH / 35 SB / 647 PA Fernando Tatis Jr.Stats: .268 / .368 / .446 / 25 HR / 54 XBH / 32 SB / 691 PA Manny Machado Stats: .275 / .335 / .460 / 27 HR / 60 XBH / 14 SB / 678 PA Injuries Everyone's least favorite part of sports will, unfortunately, play a large role in this matchup. Both teams have been without one of their top starters for all/most of 2025, as Joe Musgrove (Padres) and Justin Steele (Cubs) are not going to make miracle returns for the wildcard round. On the Cubs' side, they just learned that rookie sensation Cade Horton will miss the series with a rib fracture. This is a painful blow for the Cubs as he was one of baseball's best pitchers in 2025, and the ace of Chicago’s staff: - 22 GS - 118 IP - 2.67 ERA - 3.59 FIP - 20.4 K% / 6.9 BB% It’s hard to see the light with news that painful, but on the bright side, Tucker just returned from an IL stint and will be healthy for the first round. His offense will be crucial to support a depleted Cubs rotation. In San Diego, the injury bug has been almost as brutal. On September 1, All-Star reliever Jason Adam suffered a gut-wrenching injury that took him out for the entirety of the postseason. They still have the bullpen depth to compensate, but no arm on the Padres staff was as reliable as Adam in 2025. 65 G 65.1 IP 29 HLD 1.93 ERA 3.08 FIP 25.9 K% / 9.3 BB% Trade deadline acquisition Ramon Laureano is also day-to-day. The outfielder will likely return for the playoffs, but that will still come with some rust. Finally, shortstop Xander Bogaerts has been activated from the IL. His reintegration into the roster will be vital for the Padres' lineup depth. Starting Pitching With Horton out for the series, Padres ace Nick Pivetta is the only consistent option available for either team. 31 GS 181.2 IP 2.87 ERA 3.49 FIP 26.4 K% / 6.9 BB% After that, the Padres' rotation for the series is unclear. They offer multiple options, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Michael King, the Padres' top pitcher coming into the season, is finally healthy and will probably take the ball for a start. In a potential game 3, the Padres will have a decision to make. Randy Vasquez was the number two for most of the season, but has scary sustainability metrics (3.73 ERA / 5.48 xERA). Dylan Cease (4.55 ERA / 3.56 FIP) and Yu Darvish (5.38 ERA / 4.82 FIP) are established arms, but struggled in 2025. Trade deadline acquisitions JP Sears and Nestor Cortes are not going to be available in the series, as Cortes is on the IL and Sears threw 113 pitches on Sunday. On the North Side, Chicago’s staff was led by four pitchers all season. With Horton removed from the equation, they will rely on their other three starters. Lefties Mathew Boyd and Shota Imanaga both had excellent first halves of the season. Boyd even made the All-Star Game with one of the lowest ERAs in MLB at the break. The second half wasn’t as friendly to Imanaga and Boyd, though, so Chicago will be hoping they can regain some magic. Boyd Before July 22: 2.20 ERA / 3.15 FIP / 23.2 K% / 5.2 BB% Boyd After July 22: 5.16 ERA / 4.63 FIP /18.2 K% / 7.1 BB% Imanaga Before July 22: 2.40 ERA / 4.35 FIP / 18.2 K% / 5.8 BB% Imanaga After July 22: 5.17 ERA / 5.42 FIP / 23.2 K% / 3.3 BB% Rounding out the Cubs starters is Jameson Taillon. The veteran’s 2025 season had the opposite pattern from his southpaw teammates. After a mediocre first few months, Taillon was placed on the IL for seven weeks from June 29 to Aug. 19. Since returning, he has been unhittable. Taillon’s continued dominance is the Cubs' most clear path to a series victory without Horton. Taillon Since August 19: 1.57 ERA / 3.11 FIP / 18.3 K% / 5.3 BB% Offense The superstars will be ready, but there's more offense on these teams than just Tucker/PCA and Machado/Tatis. Both rosters feature several all-stars, experienced bats, and sluggers. Can Padres catcher Freddy Fermin hold his own against the Cubs' talented catching trio of Carson Kelly, Miguel Amaya, and Reese McGuire? There's also a high-powered matchup at first base with lefties Michael Busch and Ryan O’Hearn. Ryan O’Hearn Stats: .281 / .366 / .437 / 17 HR Michael Busch Stats: .261 / .343 / .523 / 34 HR Each team has a veteran shortstop with an all-star pedigree. Will Bogaerts or Dansby Swanson provide playoff heroics? The outfields are stacked on both rosters. Along with PCA and Tucker, the Cubs have switch-hitter Ian Happ and slugger Seiya Suzuki. Happ has had an excellent second half, whereas Suzuki did most of his damage early in the season. The Padres counter the Cubs outfield with their own depth. Second-year star Jackson Merrill will look to compensate for his sophomore slump with a big playoffs, and Laureano has been their top hitter since joining the team in July. Bullpen Beasts The Padres pen has been making headlines since the trade deadline when they acquired flamethrower Mason Miller. Since the trade, he has been unhittable, putting up: 22 G 23.1 IP 0.77 ERA 1.12 FIP 54.2 K% / 12 BB% Along with Miller, the Padres' bullpen features two All-Stars: Adrian Morejon and Robert Suarez. You also can't forget Jeremiah Estrada, one of the league's top strikeout pitchers. This stackedness gives the Padres an edge in late innings, but the Cubs' bullpen can certainly hold their own in a three-game series. Chicago’s relief duties are handled by closer Daniel Palencia, who came out of nowhere in 2025, grabbing hold of the team's ninth-inning duties. They also have Brad Keller, a former starter who’s turned into a top-tier reliever. Keller handled the closing duties in September, when Palencia spent 16 days on the IL. He may stay as the closer in the wildcard round. For lefty matchups, veterans Drew Pomeranz and Caleb Thielbar have both been highly reliable. Cubs Bullpen: 3.80 ERA (12th) / 4.05 FIP (16th) / 25.7 K% (3rd) Padres Bullpen: 3.05 ERA (1st) / 3.55 FIP (2nd) / 22.7 K% (15th) Home Field Advantage MLB playoff games have some of the best atmospheres in sports, so that any home team will have an advantage. For this series, that advantage could be even bigger. Wrigley Field has one of the best environments in baseball and will surely sell out every game of this series (37,256 fans/game in 2025). The Cubs have benefited from their fans all season, finishing with a 50-31 record at home, compared to just 42-39 when traveling. The Padres have a similar advantage at Petco Park, another one of baseball's top stadiums, but that won’t help them in this round. If they are going to pull off the series victory, they will have to learn how to win on the road (38-43 away record in 2025). Overall, this matchup projects to be the most exciting battle of the wildcard round. Both sides have star power, World Series aspirations, and a fascinating combination of strengths/ weaknesses. View full article