2025 MLB Wild Card Series Preview

Here we are — the 2025 MLB Postseason.

While the Brewers are awaiting an opponent for the National League Division Series, eight teams will compete in four Wild Card Series this week. Let’s take a quick look at each of the matchups. All times listed in Central Daylight Time.

AL Wild Card Series: (3) Cleveland Guardians vs. (6) Detroit Tigers

This is a fun series between the top two teams in the AL Central, though these are two teams who have had very different trajectories. The Guardians rallied from 15 1/2 games back to win the division for the second consecutive year, while the Tigers, who looked like one of the best teams in baseball for most of the year, snuck into the playoffs as the six seed in the American League. The Guardians won the season series 9-5, though they went just 2-4 against the Tigers in Cleveland this year.

Schedule

• Game 1: Tuesday, Sept. 30 @ 12:08 p.m. (ESPN)
• Game 2: Wednesday, Oct. 1 @ 12:08 p.m. (ESPN)
• Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 2 @ 12:08 p.m. (ESPN)

Team Rankings

Tigers:

• Offense: .247/.316/.413 (.729 OPS ranks 12th); 198 HRs (10th); 758 runs (11th); 61 SBs (last)
• Pitching: 3.95 team ERA (16th); 3.91 starter ERA (11th); 4.05 reliever ERA (17th); 1,375 Ks (14th)

Guardians:

• Offense: .226/.296/.373 (.669 OPS ranks 29th); 168 HRs (20th); 643 runs (28th); 129 SBs (11th)
• Pitching: 3.70 team ERA (fourth); 3.86 starter ERA (10th); 3.44 reliever ERA (third); 1,381 Ks (12th)

Projected Pitching Matchups

• Game 1: Tarik Skubal (DET) vs. Gavin Williams (CLE)
• Game 2: TBD (DET) vs. Tanner Bibee (CLE)
• Game 3: TBD (DET) vs. Slade Cecconi (CLE)

Prediction

In my opinion, this is the biggest toss up of the four Wild Card series. It’ll really come down to which Detroit team shows up, but it’s so hard to pick against the Tigers in a three-game series where Tarik Skubal starts one of the games. I’ll take the Tigers to squeak by and win two of three after the Guardians eliminated them last year.

AL Wild Card Series: (4) New York Yankees vs. (5) Boston Red Sox

This is one of the most exciting series we’ve had during Wild Card week, at least in terms of head-to-head matchups. The Yankees and Red Sox are arguably part of the biggest rivalry in sports, and this is the first time they’ll face off in the postseason since the 2021 AL Wild Card Game, which the Red Sox won by a 6-2 final. In fact, the Red Sox haven’t lost to the Yankees in the postseason since 2003, including their memorable comeback in the 2004 ALCS, a 3-1 series win in the 2018 ALDS, and that 2021 Wild Card win. The Yankees were vying for the AL East for much of the season, though they ultimately fell just short of the Blue Jays and will instead play host here. On the other side, the Red Sox had an improbable season, trading away Rafael Devers over the summer but going 53-37 since that time to finish at 89-73 on the year. Boston went 9-4 against the Yankees this season, including a 5-2 record at Yankee Stadium.

Schedule

• Game 1: Tuesday, Sept. 30 @ 5:08 p.m. (ESPN)
• Game 2: Wednesday, Oct. 1 @ 5:08 p.m. (ESPN)
• Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 2 @ 5:08 p.m. (ESPN)

Team Rankings

Red Sox:

• Offense: .254/.324/.421 (.745 OPS ranks ninth); 186 HRs (15th); 786 runs (seventh); 139 SBs (sixth)
• Pitching: 3.70 team ERA (fifth); 3.92 starter ERA (12th); 3.41 reliever ERA (second); 1,361 Ks (16th)

Yankees:

• Offense: .251/.332/.455 (.787 OPS ranks first); 274 HRs (first); 849 runs (first); 134 SBs (tied for eighth)
• Pitching: 3.91 team ERA (14th); 3.61 starter ERA (fourth); 4.37 reliever ERA (23rd); 1,440 Ks (fourth)

Projected Pitching Matchups

• Game 1: Garrett Crochet (BOS) vs. Max Fried (NYY)
• Game 2: Brayan Bello (BOS) vs. Carlos Rodón (NYY)
• Game 3: TBD (BOS) vs. Cam Schlittler (NYY)

Prediction

The Yankees win this matchup on paper, with a better rotation and a better lineup, but the bullpen has been such a major problem, even with the big pickups of Camilo Doval and David Bednar. I’ll take the Red Sox to rely on some late comebacks to win this series 2-1.

NL Wild Card Series: (3) Los Angeles Dodgers vs. (6) Cincinnati Reds

The perennial World Series-contending Dodgers are back in the postseason as the winner of the NL West, though they won’t get the bye this year, as they finished behind the Brewers and Phillies for the top seeds in the NL. They’ll welcome the young Cincinnati Reds to town for three games, as the Reds snuck in as the last team to secure a postseason spot thanks to a collapse by the Mets over the last several months. The Dodgers went 5-1 against Cincinnati this season, including a three-game sweep at Dodger Stadium in late August.

Schedule

• Game 1: Tuesday, Sept. 30 @ 8:08 p.m. (ESPN)
• Game 2: Wednesday, Oct. 1 @ 8:08 p.m. (ESPN)
• Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 2 @ 8:08 p.m. (ESPN)

Team Rankings

Reds:

• Offense: .245/.315/.391 (.706 OPS ranks 19th); 167 HRs (21st); 716 runs (14th); 105 SBs (19th)
• Pitching: 3.86 team ERA (12th); 3.85 starter ERA (ninth); 3.89 reliever ERA (14th); 1,380 Ks (13th)

Dodgers:

• Offense: .253/.327/.441 (.768 OPS ranks second); 244 HRs (second); 825 runs (second); 88 SBs (tied for 21st)
• Pitching: 3.95 team ERA (17th); 3.69 starter ERA (fifth); 4.27 reliever ERA (21st); 1,505 Ks (first)

Projected Pitching Matchups

• Game 1: Hunter Greene (CIN) vs. Blake Snell (LAD)
• Game 2: TBD (CIN) vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD)
• Game 3: TBD (CIN) vs. TBD (LAD)

Prediction

Anything can happen in a short three-game series — just ask the Brewers of the last few years. Hunter Greene is a formidable game 1 starter, and Andrew Abbott will likely start game 2 or 3, making this a series that will come down to the offenses. The Reds, though, have one of the worst offenses in baseball. I’ll take the Dodgers to sweep.

NL Wild Card Series: (4) Chicago Cubs vs. (5) San Diego Padres

The Cubs, who led the NL Central for the first half of the season, ultimately finished the year as the top Wild Card team, with a 92-70 record, good for sixth-best in all of baseball. The Padres were right behind them, going 90-72 and vying for the NL West for most of the season. These two teams split the regular season series 3-3, with the Cubs taking two of three at Wrigley back in April.

Schedule

• Game 1: Tuesday, Sept. 30 @ 2:08 p.m. (ABC)
• Game 2: Wednesday, Oct. 1 @ 2:08 p.m. (ABC)
• Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 2 @ 2:08 p.m. (ABC)

Team Rankings

Padres:

• Offense: .252/.321/.390 (711 OPS ranks 16th); 152 HRs (28th); 702 runs (18th); 106 SBs (18th)
• Pitching: 3.63 team ERA (third); 4.07 starter ERA (16th); 3.06 reliever ERA (first); 1,425 Ks (eighth)

Cubs:

• Offense: .249/.320/.430 (.750 OPS ranks seventh); 223 HRs (sixth); 793 runs (fifth); 161 SBs (tied for third)
• Pitching: 3.79 team ERA (ninth); 3.83 starter ERA (eighth); 3.78 reliever ERA (11th); 1,265 Ks (27th)

Projected Pitching Matchups

• Game 1: Nick Pivetta (SD) vs. Matthew Boyd (CHC)
• Game 2: Dylan Cease (SD) vs. TBD (CHC)
• Game 3: Yu Darvish (SD) vs. TBD (CHC)

Prediction

Nick Pivetta has been great for the Padres this season, and Dylan Cease has also been solid, at least if you look at his underlying numbers. Yu Darvish is certainly past his prime, but the Padres have the pitching advantage here, and I think they can hold their own offensively at Wrigley. I’ll take San Diego to win two of thre.