MLB handed down its Wild Card schedule before the Phillies had even clinched, and the result is the same old headache: 2 p.m. first pitches on Tuesday, Wednesday, and, if necessary, Thursday.
That setup was announced on September 27, 2026, and it immediately drew the same reaction it always does when baseball puts October games in the middle of the workday. Playoff baseball is supposed to be the sport’s best stage, yet MLB keeps burying it in a time slot that makes no sense for the people who actually watch it. Weekday afternoons are a brutal fit for fans with jobs, families, dinner plans, pickups, and everything else life throws in the way.
The schedule leaves no mystery about the frustration. Two o’clock on a weekday means the league is not aiming for the broadest possible audience, and it certainly isn’t making life easier for fans trying to follow along. MLB could have built these windows around prime time, but instead the games sit in the middle of the day, as if baseball fans are all free to spend Tuesday afternoon staring at a television.
For the Phillies, the matchup comes with a familiar setting. This is the third time in five years that they’ll head to Atlanta, the NL East winner, and they’ve won Game 1 in both of the previous trips.
But there’s a wrinkle this time: Zack Wheeler will not be available to pitch early in the series. The expectation is that he could be an insurance policy for Game 3, or possibly work on short rest because he had to pitch Game 162.
The pitching plan, as noted, should become clearer soon.
There’s also the calendar oddity that comes with this series. Since the first two games are in September, calling it Red October doesn’t quite fit.
Happy Red September!
In Other News...
Anfernee Simons Just Sent The 76ers Bench A Clear Message
Anfernee Simons has already made the kind of first impression the 76ers want from a newcomer in a supporting role. He spoke about his admiration for LeBron James, but more importantly for Philadelphia, he framed his own opportunity around embracing the job in front of him and settling in as a secondary scoring option off the bench. For a team that will need its reserves to be reliable all season, that sort of buy-in matters as much as any early production.
Simons also made clear that the lesson he wants to carry forward is a team-first mentality, the kind that keeps a bench group engaged even when touches are limited and minutes can fluctuate. Philadelphias second unit has to stay ready and motivated because the season will ask plenty of it, and Simons appears intent on helping set that tone. The message was straightforward: the role may not be the headline, but it still has real value if the 76ers want consistent contributions behind their top line. [Read more 🡒]
Tyrese Maxey Just Highlighted A Tough Reality For Sixers Rookie
Training camp always brings a little optimism with it, but it also tends to clarify where the minutes are going to come from, and Tyrese Maxey recently pointed out one of the clearer logjams on the 76ers roster. Philadelphia has loaded up on ball-handlers, giving the backcourt a very different look and creating a tougher path for rookie Labaron Philon Jr. to carve out a role early.
Maxeys comments framed the situation as a competition rather than a closed door, which matters for a young guard trying to earn trust before the games count. With Jaylen Brown, Anfernee Simons and LeBron James among the new additions in the mix, Philon may not get many clean opportunities by default, but the Sixers seem intent on letting him prove he belongs before making any hard calls on his playing time. [Read more 🡒]
Paul George Just Revived An Uncomfortable Sixers Reality
Paul Georges latest reflection has put an awkward spotlight back on Philadelphias latest swing at contention. After arriving to help reshape the 76ers, George has had to navigate the usual mix of expectations and scrutiny, and his comments about wishing he had joined Boston sooner only sharpen the contrast between where he is now and where things might have gone differently. For a team that has spent the past year trying to turn star power into stability, it is not exactly the kind of hindsight anyone in South Philly wants to hear.
The larger problem for the 76ers is that Georges stop in Philadelphia already comes with enough baggage to invite second-guessing, from uneven production to the interruption of injury and suspension issues. His move to the Celtics only adds to the feeling that this era could have been built another way, especially if the organization ended up landing Jaylen Brown in the trade instead. That possibility hangs over the story now, because once a player starts talking like this, the obvious next question is what the 76ers think they gained, and whether they will ever feel fully comfortable with the answer. [Read more 🡒]