Here we are – the late season of 2025 MLB.
While the Brewers are waiting for an opponent for the National League Division Series, eight teams will participate in four Wild Card series this week. Let’s quickly view each of the matchups. All times mentioned in central daylight time.
Al Wild Card Series: (3) Cleveland Guardians vs. (6) Detroit Tigers
This is a nice series between the top two teams in the Al Central, although these are two teams that have had very different trajectories. The Guardians gathered back from 15 1/2 matches 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, went into the play -offs in the play -offs such as the six seed in the American League. The Guardians won the season series 9-5, although this year they only went 2-4 against the Tigers in Cleveland.
- Game 1: Tuesday September 30 @ 12:08 pm (ESPN)
- Game 2: Wednesday October 1 @ 12:08 pm (ESPN)
- Game 3: Thursday 2 October @ 12:08 pm (ESPN)
- Attack: .247/.316/.413 (.729 OPS is in 12th place); 198 hours (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)
- Attack: .226/.296/.373 (.669 OPS is in 29th place); 168 hours (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 (IT) vs. Slade Cecconi (CLE)
In my opinion this is the biggest throw of the four Wild Card series. It really comes down to which Detroit team appears, but it is so difficult to choose against the Tigers in a three-game series where Tarik Skubal starts one of the games. I take the tigers to squeak and win two of three after the Guardians eliminated them last year.
Al Wild Card Series: (4) New York Yankees versus (5) Boston Red Sox
This is one of the most exciting series we had during Wild Card Week, at least in terms of head-to-head matchups. The Yankees and Red Sox are demonstrably part of the greatest rivalry in sport, and this is the first time they will be confronted in the late season since the already Wild Card game of 2021, which won the Red SOX with a 6-2 final. In fact, since 2003, the Red SOX has not been lost to the Yankees in the late season, including their memorable comeback in the Alcs of 2004, a 3-1 series victory in the 2018 ALDS and that 2021 Wild Card victory. The Yankees compete for a large part of the season to East, although they were just short of the Blue Jays and instead will play host here. On the other hand, the Red Sox had an unlikely season and Rafael Devers exchanged in the summer, but since that time 53-37 has been going to end up at 89-73 in the year. Boston went 9-4 this season against the Yankees, including a 5-2 record in Yankee Stadium.
- Game 1: Tuesday September 30 @ 5:08 pm (ESPN)
- Game 2: Wednesday October 1 @ 17:08 (ESPN)
- Game 3: Thursday, October 2 @ 17:08 (ESPN)
- Attack: .254/.324/.421 (.745 OPS is in ninth place); 186 hours (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)
- Attack: .251/.332/.455 (.787 OPS first arranges); 274 hours (first); 849 runs (first); 134 SBS (tied up for the 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)
The Yankees win this matchup on paper, with a better rotation and a better line -up, but the bullpen has been such a big problem, even with the big pick -ups of Camilo Doval and David Bednar. I 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 multi-year World Series-Contening Dodgers are back in the late season as the winner of the NL West, although they will not get the canopy this year, because they ended up behind the Brewers and Phillies for the top seeds in the NL. They welcome the young Cincinnati Reds in the city for three races, because the Reds intervene as the last team to secure a postseas site thanks to a collapse through the Mets in recent months. The Dodgers went against Cincinnati with 5-1 this season, including a three-game sweep in a Dodger stage at the end of August.
- Game 1: Tuesday September 30 @ 8:08 pm (ESPN)
- Game 2: Wednesday October 1 @ 20:08 (ESPN)
- Game 3: Thursday 2 October @ 20:08 (ESPN)
- Attack: .245/.315/.391 (.706 Ops arranges in 19th place); 167 hours (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)
- Attack: .253/.327/.441 (.768 OPS is in second place); 244 hours (second); 825 runs (second); 88 SBS (bound for the 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)
Everything can happen in a short series of three competition question but the Brewers of recent years. Hunter Greene is a formidable game 1 -starter, and Andrew Abbott will probably start Game 2 or 3, making this a series that comes on the offenses. However, the Reds have one of the worst violations in baseball. I take the Dodgers with me to sweep.
NL Wild Card Series: (4) Chicago Cubs vs. (5) San Diego Padres
The Cubs, which led the NL Central for the first half of the season, finally ended the year as the best Wild Card team, with a record of 92-70, good for the sixth best in all baseball. The Padres were just behind them, went 90-72 and fighting 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 the three in Wigley in April.
- Game 1: Tuesday September 30 @ 2:08 pm (ABC)
- Game 2: Wednesday October 1 @ 14:08 (ABC)
- Game 3: Thursday 2 October @ 2:08 pm (ABC)
- Attack: .252/.321/.390 (711 Ops is in 16th place); 152 hours (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)
- Attack: .249/.320/.430 (.750 OPS is in seventh place); 223 hours (sixth); 793 runs (fifth); 161 SBS (bound 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 ceases (SD) versus TBD (CHC)
- Game 3: Yu Darvish (SD) vs. TBD (CHC)
Nick Pivetta has been great for the Padres this season, and Dylan Stlaat has also been solid, at least if you look at his underlying figures. Yu Darvish is definitely beyond his prime, but the Padres here have the pitching advantage, and I think they can hold their own attacking in Wigley. I take San Diego to win two of Thre.
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