The 2025 MLB Wild Card Series round began on Sept. 30. Eight teams, including six teams who fell short of winning their respective divisions, battled for an opportunity to prove themselves and advance to either the National League Division Series or American League Division Series.
The four matchups were the Los Angeles Dodgers vs. the Cincinnati Reds, the Chicago Cubs vs. the San Diego Padres, the New York Yankees vs. the Boston Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers vs. the Cleveland Guardians.
The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Cincinnati Reds 10-5 in Game 1 and 8-4 in Game 2, winning the series 2-0. Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar Hernández both hit two home runs in Game 1, and Mookie Betts hit three doubles in Game 2, fueling the Dodgers’ offense. The Dodgers’ win returns the team to a familiar stage of the postseason, the NLDS for the 13th consecutive year.
While the Dodgers won convincingly, the Reds had a tremendous season, outperforming expectations as they surpassed a talented New York Mets team in the standings at the end of the season. The Reds have a bright future, boasting good players such as Elly De La Cruz, Gavin Lux and Andrew Abbott.
The Chicago Cubs defeated the San Diego Padres 3-1 in both Game 1 and Game 3 to win the series 2-1. In Game 2, the Padres, on the brink of elimination, won 3-0, allowing only four hits to extend their season. Padres’ pitcher Mason Miller was exceptional in Game 2, throwing five strikeouts in 1.2 innings pitched.
Overall, this series proved to be the most competitive out of the Wild Card round. The Cubs won just two more games in the regular season and barely outscored the Padres 6-5 throughout the series, but that slight edge proved to be enough for the Cubs to win their first postseason series since 2017.
Unlike the National League, the American League featured matchups between teams from the same division, including the legendary rivalry between the Red Sox and New York Yankees, which has intensified over the past 25 years.
In the 2003 American League Championship Series, Aaron Boone, now the Yankees’ manager, hit a walk-off home run to advance to the World Series. The following year, the Red Sox defeated the Yankees after trailing 3-0 in the series, becoming the first team to accomplish the feat. The Red Sox also defeated the Yankees in the postseason in 2018 and 2021. It’s safe to say there is some bad blood.
In Game 1 of the 2025 American League Wild Card, the Red Sox pitchers threw 13 strikeouts, putting the Yankees on the brink of elimination. After winning Game 2, the Yankees successfully altered the trajectory of the rivalry in Game 3, winning 4-0, a win propelled by Cam Schlittler throwing 12 strikeouts in his postseason debut.
While not as historic, the matchup between the American League Central’s best, the Detroit Tigers and the Cleveland Guardians, was also a fantastic one.
Shockingly, the Cleveland Guardians finished ahead of the Detroit Tigers as the season concluded and earned home-field advantage in the matchup. The Tigers, who lost a 15.5 game lead in the American League Central, had an opportunity to redeem themselves. They did just that as the 2025 American League Cy Young candidate Tarik Skubal threw 14 strikeouts in the first game, leading the Tigers to a victory. The Guardians’ offense improved in Game 2, scoring five runs in the eighth inning. Guardians’ George Valera, Bo Naylor and Brayan Rocchio all hit home runs, helping their team tie the series and extend the season. The Tigers won the third game 6-3 to win the series.
With the Wild Card round complete, the postseason field has narrowed — but the intensity has only ramped up. In the National League, the Los Angeles Dodgers have carried their momentum into the Division Series, jumping out to a 2-0 lead over the Philadelphia Phillies, while the Milwaukee Brewers hold a 2-0 advantage against the Chicago Cubs in a battle of NL Central rivals. Over in the American League, the Seattle Mariners are up 2-1 on the Detroit Tigers, and the Toronto Blue Jays lead the New York Yankees 2-1 after a string of hard-fought games.