The Cubs and White Sox are both headed into the postseason for the first time since 2020, and Major League Baseball has now lined up the wild-card TV schedule.
For the Cubs, the road begins in San Diego. The Padres will host that series, with every game set for a 9 p.m.
Central Time start. The White Sox, meanwhile, will go on the road to face the American League Western Division champion - either the Houston Astros or Texas Rangers - with first pitch at 4 p.m.
Both Chicago teams will be shown on NBCSN and Peacock.
The rest of the wild-card picture includes the Arizona Diamondbacks or Philadelphia Phillies at the Atlanta Braves, plus the New York Yankees hosting the Boston Red Sox.
There’s at least one matchup trend that should catch Cubs fans’ attention: Chicago took the season series from San Diego, five games to one. On the road, the Cubs won two of three and outscored the Padres 20-16.
In 2026, San Diego managed just a .169 average against Chicago, though it did hit nine home runs. The Cubs were much more productive in the matchup, batting .298 with 18 homers against the Padres.
The White Sox are still waiting to learn whether they’ll see Houston or Texas, and the numbers offer a split story either way. Against the Astros in 2026, Chicago hit .210 with six home runs, while Houston hit .225 with seven homers. Against Texas, the White Sox fared better at the plate, batting .277 with four home runs, but the Rangers hit .294 with 11 home runs.
Texas also had the edge in the regular-season games in Arlington, outscoring the White Sox 15-14 over three games. At home, the Rangers went 45-36 and outscored opponents 335-324.
Houston finished 39-42 at home and was outscored 375-344. The White Sox went 36-45 on the road and were outscored 376-393.
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