MLB dropped its Wild Card schedule before the Phillies had even clinched on Sunday, and it was the same old head-scratcher: 2 p.m. on Tuesday, 2 p.m. on Wednesday, and 2 p.m. on Thursday if the series goes the distance.
That setup drew immediate frustration, because weekday afternoon playoff baseball makes no sense for the people actually supposed to be watching it. Fans work. They’ve got spouses, kids, dinners, after-school runs, daycare pickups - real life stuff that doesn’t stop because MLB decided October should start in the middle of the workday.
The bigger complaint is simple: this is postseason baseball, the best baseball there is, and yet the league keeps burying it in time slots that feel designed for nobody in particular. There’s no reason the games couldn’t be placed in prime-time windows instead of stretching a series across the middle of the afternoon. Nobody is sitting there from 2 p.m. to 1 a.m. waiting on every pitch.
Luke also pointed out that this marks the third time in five years the Phillies will head to Atlanta, the NL East winner. In both previous trips, the Phillies took Game 1.
This time, though, the pitching setup comes with a wrinkle: Zack Wheeler won’t be available early in the series. At this point, he looks more like an insurance option for Game 3, though a short-rest appearance is still possible because he had to pitch Game 162.
More on the pitching plan should come soon.
And with the first two games landing in September, maybe “Red October” doesn’t quite fit. Happy Red September.
In Other News...
Phillies Get A Late Pitching Twist Before A Tense Finale
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Urquidy now heads to waivers, and if he goes unclaimed, he may have the chance to reject an outright assignment. It is a reminder that even in a finale with limited standings impact, the Phillies are still managing the roster with an eye on depth, flexibility and what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Prospect Bryan Rincon Is Forcing A Bigger Infield Conversation
Bryan Rincon has put himself squarely on the Phillies radar with a strong 2026 season at Double-A Reading, where the organizations No. 4 prospect paired impact power with speed and plenty of production. A .267 average, 26 home runs, 67 RBIs and 30 stolen bases made him one of the more dynamic everyday players in the system, and the recognition followed with a Double-A Eastern League All-Star nod and the Paul Owens Award as the clubs top minor-league position player.
For a Phillies infield picture that is never exactly short on moving parts, Rincons rise only adds to the conversation about what comes next. The Phillies still may choose to let him keep developing in the minors rather than push the pace, with Triple-A potentially waiting in 2027, but his season was the kind that makes it harder to ignore a player for long. [Read more 🡒]
Jose Alvarado Just Made A Phillies Bullpen Decision Much Harder
The Phillies bullpen has been one of the shakier parts of a roster that can no longer afford many soft spots, and Jose Alvarados recent stretch only adds to the uncertainty. After showing signs of improvement, the veteran left-hander stumbled badly in late September, right as Philadelphia has been trying to hold its postseason position together amid a drop in offensive production and continued relief issues.
Don Mattingly has already acknowledged the discomfort of leaning on Alvarado in the biggest moments, which is where the real complication begins for the Phillies. With free agency looming, the club now has to sort out whether his recent work is a short-term blip or another warning sign, and that decision is getting harder at exactly the wrong time. [Read more 🡒]