Santo Domingo. – The Major League Baseball postseason begins this Tuesday, September 30, with the start of the
Wild Card Series, four win-two-of-three-game matchups that promise intensity and drama from the first pitch.
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In the American League, the
Guardians host the Tigers and the
Yankees clash with their eternal rivals, the Red Sox. In the National League, the
Dodgers will face the Reds and the
Cubs will measure forces with the Padres.
Here’s everything you need to know about each crossing.
American League
(5) Red Sox vs. (4) Yankees
Schedules
- Game 1: Tuesday, 6 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- Game 2: Wednesday, 6 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- Game 3 (if necessary): Thursday, 6 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Series in the season: Boston dominated 9-4, with a 5-2 record at Yankee Stadium.
Playoff History: Sixth series between the two. The Red Sox won the last matchup, in the 2021 Wild Card Game.
Keys: Boston started the season strong against New York (eight wins in nine games), but the Yankees recovered in the last matchups thanks to Max Fried and Carlos Rodón, who will be protagonists again.
Player to watch:
Garrett Crochet, Boston’s ace, recorded absolute dominance against New York: four starts, four wins, 39 strikeouts and a WHIP of 0.88.
(6) Tigers vs. (3) Guardians
Schedules
- Game 1: Tuesday, 1 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- Game 2: Wednesday, 1 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- Game 3 (if necessary): Thursday, 1 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Series in the season: Cleveland won 8 of 13. In the historical record, both teams have 1,166 wins each and 12 draws.
Playoff History: They faced each other in the 2024 Divisional Series, with the Guardians winning in five games.
Keys: The duel of aces will be unmissable:
Tarik Skubal (Detroit), candidate to repeat the Cy Young, against
Gavin Williams (Cleveland), who signed a 1.96 ERA since August.
Player to watch:
Kerry Carpenter, key hitter against right-handed pitchers, with 23 of his 26 home runs against right-handers in 2025.
National League
(5) Padres vs. (4) Cubs
Schedules
- Game 1: Tuesday, 3 p.m. ET (ABC)
- Game 2: Wednesday, 3 p.m. ET (ABC)
- Game 3 (if necessary): Thursday, 3 p.m. ET (ABC)
Series in the season: Tied (3-3), with 25 runs scored by each team.
Playoff History: They faced each other in the 1984 NLCS, where San Diego advanced with a historic home run by Steve Garvey.
Keys: The Padres arrive without Ramón Laureano, out due to a fracture, while the Cubs recover
Kyle Tucker. Chicago could gain an advantage with an arsenal of left-handed starters (Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga).
Player to watch:
Fernando Tatis Jr., always explosive, comes from opening games with power from the first inning.
(6) Reds vs. (3) Dodgers
Schedules
- Game 1: Tuesday, 9 p.m. ET (TBS)
- Game 2: Wednesday, 9 p.m. ET (TBS)
- Game 3 (if necessary): Thursday, 9 p.m. ET (TBS)
Series in the season: The Dodgers dominated with a 5-1 record.
Playoff History: This will be the first time they face each other at this stage.
Keys: Cincinnati relies on the dynamism of
Elly de la Cruz and the arm of
Hunter Greene to challenge the reigning champion. The Dodgers, without Clayton Kershaw, still have a fearsome trio in the rotation:
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell and
Shohei Ohtani, in addition to the offensive support of
Mookie Betts and
Freddie Freeman.
