Anthony Rizzo has already handed the Braves something to chew on before October even arrives.
Atlanta is all but locked into the National League’s third seed, but the opponent remains unsettled. Entering Wednesday, the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, and San Diego Padres were all sitting at 87-70, while the Arizona Diamondbacks were four games back. So the field looks set; the order still doesn’t.
That uncertainty is exactly where Rizzo stepped in. The former Cubs first baseman said Chicago should essentially ease off the gas and try to land the sixth seed, which would line up a Wild Card matchup with Atlanta.
It’s a strange argument, and even his podcast partner David Ross pushed back on it. Still, the message is out there now, and it has the feel of classic October bulletin-board fuel.
Cubs, if you’re listening, Rizzo’s got quite the Wild Card strategy for you 🤫🤣
Full Episode LIVE NOW 🚨 pic.twitter.com/0PmkRo1pN9
- Ross and Rizzo Unfiltered (@RossAndRizzo) September 22, 2026
Rizzo’s case starts with the idea that the Cubs have handled the Braves well this season. The problem is that the numbers don’t really support that claim. The season series is tied 3-3, so there’s no clear edge there.
He also pointed to the most recent Braves-Cubs series, but that came with Reynaldo Lopez, Martin Perez, and JR Ritchie on the mound. That’s a very different setup than what Atlanta can throw at teams when Chris Sale is in the mix.
Rizzo’s other point was that a road series win would build confidence and set Chicago up well for the NLDS. He also argued that this side of the bracket is preferable because the NLDS would come against the Dodgers instead of the Brewers.
That part is where the logic gets really odd. If the goal is to avoid trouble, lining up for the 2x defending World Champs doesn’t exactly sound like the softest path. The better argument would seem to be letting someone else try to take down the Dodgers first and worrying about Los Angeles later.
There’s also the matter of home field. The Cubs still have a real shot at the fourth seed, which would give them home-field advantage.
Rizzo appears willing to give that up just to get Atlanta. As Ross put it on the podcast, "that's a bold move, Cotton".
For the Braves, it’s simple enough: they have all the motivation they need. No National League playoff team is going to be a soft landing spot, and October is no place for opponent shopping. Atlanta doesn’t know who’s coming yet, but if it’s Chicago, they already know one Cubs legend has chosen his side.
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