MLB · 7 hours ago

Predicting the 4 MLB 2026 Wild Card Round Winners

Aidan Sollecito

Host · Writer

Who Will Advance?
Do you agree with our predictions? Which teams will advance to the divisional round?

Follow SportsGrid for more MLB coverage, predictions, and analysis during the playoffs.
Predicting the MLB Wildcard Winners
The road to the World Series begins now. The MLB Wild Card round features four best-of-three series, with eight teams fighting to keep their championship dreams alive. Here are my predictions for who will advance to the Divisional Round.

2026 MLB Wildcard Matchups
- Philadelphia Phillies @ Atlanta Braves
- Chicago White Sox @ Houston Astros
- Boston Red Sox @ New York Yankees
- Chicago Cubs @ San Diego Padres
Philadelphia Phillies @ Atlanta Braves
The NL East rivals meet again in October for the Wild Card Series in Atlanta. The Braves dominated the season series, winning nine of 13 matchups. Atlanta has the pitching advantage with their ace Chris Sale starting Game 1 after posting a 2.16 ERA this season. Meanwhile, Phillies ace Zack Wheeler was forced to start on Sunday as Philadelphia clinched its playoff spot on the final day of the regular season.

Philadelphia Phillies @ Atlanta Braves
- Dates: Sept. 29-Oct. 1 | Time: 2:00 PM ET | TV: NBC/Peacock
- Division Finish: Braves 1st in NL East | Phillies 2nd in NL East
- Records: Braves 94-68 | Phillies 88-74
- Stadium: Truist Park | Location: Atlanta, GA
Prediction: Braves Win

The Phillies offense has struggled in September, with a .220 batting average and .640 OPS, both ranking last in baseball. This offensive slump could continue against a strong Braves pitching staff. The Braves will look for some postseason revenge after the Phillies eliminated them in the 2022 and 2023 NLDS.
Chicago White Sox @ Houston Astros
The White Sox are back in the postseason after an 84-78 season, their first winning season since 2021. The Astros went 81-81 but still captured the AL West, earning home-field advantage and becoming the first team in a full 162-game season to reach the postseason without a winning record. The Astros have won five of the seven matchups against Chicago this season and have made the playoffs in nine of the last 10 seasons.

Chicago White Sox @ Houston Astros
- Dates: Sept. 29-Oct. 1 | Time: 5:00 PM ET | TV: NBCSN/Peacock
- Division Finish: Astros 1st in AL West | White Sox 2nd in AL Central
- Records: White Sox 84-78 | Astros 81-81
- Stadium: Daikin Park | Location: Houston, TX
Prediction: White Sox Win

Despite their inexperience, I believe the White Sox have a strong chance to pull off an upset, backed by a much-improved offense this season. The young White Sox lineup has plenty of power with Munetaka Murakami, Miguel Vargas, and Colson Montgomery all hitting 30+ home runs this season. I expect the White Sox to prevail in a high-scoring series against an inconsistent Astros rotation.
Boston Red Sox @ New York Yankees
The Red Sox-Yankees rivalry returns to the postseason for the second straight season. Yankees ace Cam Schlittler has dominated with a 1.95 ERA this season and gets the start in Game 1 after eliminating the Red Sox with eight scoreless innings and 12 strikeouts in last year’s Wild Card round. The Yankees won eight of the 13 matchups this season and will lean on their rotation to shut down the Red Sox offense in this series.

Boston Red Sox @ New York Yankees
- Dates: Sept. 29-Oct. 1 | Time: 8:00 PM ET | TV: NBC/Peacock
- Division Finish: Yankees 2nd in AL East | Red Sox 3rd in AL East
- Records: Yankees 93-68 | Red Sox 87-75
- Stadium: Yankee Stadium | Location: Bronx, NY
Prediction: Yankees Win

The Yankees' impressive rotation features Cam Schlittler, Max Fried, and Gerrit Cole, making it difficult for the Red Sox offense to produce runs. Offensively, Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger have been scorching hot in September. I expect the Yankees to score enough runs to win a low-scoring series and advance to the ALDS.
Chicago Cubs @ San Diego Padres
The Cubs and Padres will also meet in the Wild Card round for the second straight season. Chicago eliminated San Diego last October, but the Padres will enter this rematch with home-field advantage after finishing with 91 wins. The Cubs dominated the season series, winning five of the six matchups, but the Padres have been one of the hottest teams in baseball, winning 17 of their last 20 games going into the postseason.

Chicago Cubs @ San Diego Padres
- Dates: Sept. 29-Oct. 1 | Time: 10:00 PM ET | TV: NBCSN/Peacock
- Division Finish: Cubs 2nd in NL Central | Padres 2nd in NL West
- Records: Padres 91-71 | Cubs 89-73
- Stadium: Petco Park | Location: San Diego, CA
Prediction: Cubs Win

The Cubs had the MLB’s highest-scoring offense, led by an MVP-caliber season from Pete Crow-Armstrong, who finished the year with 45 home runs and 41 stolen bases. I expect the Padres pitching to struggle against this relentless Chicago lineup. The Cubs also play elite defense with three reigning gold-glove winners on their roster.
Who Will Advance?
Do you agree with our predictions? Which teams will advance to the divisional round?

Follow SportsGrid for more MLB coverage, predictions, and analysis during the playoffs.
Predicting the MLB Wildcard Winners
The road to the World Series begins now. The MLB Wild Card round features four best-of-three series, with eight teams fighting to keep their championship dreams alive. Here are my predictions for who will advance to the Divisional Round.

2026 MLB Wildcard Matchups
- Philadelphia Phillies @ Atlanta Braves
- Chicago White Sox @ Houston Astros
- Boston Red Sox @ New York Yankees
- Chicago Cubs @ San Diego Padres

Predicting the 4 MLB 2026 Wild Card Round Winners

2026 MLB Wildcard Matchups

Philadelphia Phillies @ Atlanta Braves

Prediction: Braves Win

Chicago White Sox @ Houston Astros

Prediction: White Sox Win

Boston Red Sox @ New York Yankees

Prediction: Yankees Win

Chicago Cubs @ San Diego Padres

Prediction: Cubs Win

2026 MLB Wildcard Matchups

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