The Padres are heading into October with real momentum, and that’s exactly the kind of thing that makes opponents uneasy. San Diego closes the regular season having won 17 of its last 20 games, and now the club gets the chance to turn that surge into a run at its first-ever Commissioner's Trophy.
It starts Tuesday at home against the Chicago Cubs in a best-of-three National League wild-card series. The matchup carries plenty of weight for San Diego, which lost last year’s wild-card series to Chicago in three games on the road. This time, the Padres get the Cubs in their own ballpark and will try to flip the script.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan laid out why San Diego has become such a dangerous October team. “Their stars are playing like stars, and their bullpen is as deep and nasty as any,” Passan wrote.
“And with Nick Pivetta back and carving and Michael King one of the most consistent starters in the game, they've got the goods to capture the franchise's first championship. Of course, that depends on Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill continuing their second-half surges.
They are the alpha and omega of the Padres, and though everyone in between has improved, from Ty France to Manny Machado to Xander Bogaerts, they can't rely exclusively on the home run.
“The Padres run well, and they'll need to. The Padres field well, and they'll need to do that, too. Teams are scared to play San Diego, and with good reason.”
San Diego’s October path begins with Michael King, who gets the Game 1 start and enters the series as the club’s ace and most dependable starter. King has been pitching as well as anyone on the staff lately, and the Padres will need that form to carry over immediately if they want to move on.
The talent is there. The momentum is there. Now the Padres have to back it up when the games count most.
In Other News...
Padres Fans Have Every Reason To Hate This Wild Card Broadcast Choice
As the Padres get ready for their wild-card series against the Cubs, NBC Sports is adding a familiar face to the broadcast mix for Game 1. Clayton Kershaw will be part of the networks Inside the Pitch crew, a choice that instantly stands out to anyone who followed his long run with the Dodgers and the years of tension that came with it from San Diegos side.
NBC Sports has said the assignment came down to scheduling and Kershaws recent work in analyst roles, not any direct tie to either team in the series. Still, for Padres fans, seeing a recently retired Dodger on the microphone for the opener is the kind of detail that can color the broadcast before the first pitch is even thrown, especially with a rivalry that has hardly faded just because Kershaws playing days are over. [Read more 🡒]
Former Padres Roster Piece Quietly Closed The Book On His Career
Tyler Wade has quietly closed the book on a nine-year major league career, announcing his retirement after a run that took him from the Yankees to the Angels, Athletics and eventually the Padres. For San Diego, he was one of those versatile roster pieces whose value often lived in the margins, the kind of player a team leans on for depth, defense and lineup flexibility as the season wears on.
Wades final MLB appearance came in 2025, and he tried to keep the career going with a minor league deal from the Rangers in 2026. But after 16 games in Triple-A, he was released and never made it back to the majors, bringing an understated end to a path that never drew much attention but still left him a place in the Padres recent roster history. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Just Sent A Serious Wild Card Message
The Padres opened the Wild Card series in emphatic fashion, rolling past the Cubs 8-0 and setting the tone for a matchup they know could hinge on every inning. Michael King delivered the kind of start San Diego needed, working seven strong frames and coming within a hit of a no-hitter, while Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado gave the offense an immediate jolt with early home runs.
Joe Musgrove handled the ninth to finish off the shutout, and the all-around performance left San Diego looking every bit like a team that expects to keep playing deep into October. Game 1 was not just a win, but a statement about how sharp the Padres can look when their rotation and power bats show up together. [Read more 🡒]