NL Wild Card Preview

Welcome to the postseason, where dreams come true and history is made. The dogfight to get in is over, but now a whole new battle has just begun, the Wild Card Series. Eight teams will face off in a best-of-three showdown to advance to each league’s Divisional Series. Who made it in, and who is standing in their way?

Looking at the National League side of the bracket, a lot of strong suitors for the pennant will start their climb to the top on Tuesday.

No. 3 seed Milwaukee Brewers vs. No. 6 seed Arizona Diamondbacks

After the St. Louis Cardinals finished with a losing record for the first time since 2007, the Brewers took advantage of the NL Central and planted their flag at the summit of the division. On the backs of their starting rotation and a rejuvenated Christian Yelich, the Brewers reached 92 wins. They will face a challenge right out of the gate, however, losing Brandon Woodruff for what could be the remainder of the postseason.

In the other corner, the Arizona Diamondbacks are making their first appearance since 2017. After a hot start to the season that saw them at the top of NL, the D-Backs came crashing down after the all-star break. Within the bad, positives still remain. Corbin Carroll looks like the best rookie in the NL, slashing 25 home runs with 76 RBIs while also having a .868 OPS.

The pitching has been a strength for the Snakes, a combo of Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly have a strong resume to get the job done consistently. Arizona had to roll out the back end of the rotation for game one after previous games demanded its top guns.

Game one will give us Brandon Pfaadt against Milwaukee’s ace Corbin Burnes. Game two will present Gallen, but with Woodruff injured, the Brewers might look for Freddy Peralta to get the job done.

No. 4 seed Philadelphia Phillies vs. No. 5 seed Miami Marlins

The inter-division rivals meet once again, but this time with high stakes. After a season series finished 6-7 in favor of Miami, the Phillies want to return the favor and welcome them into a hostile Philadelphia atmosphere. The pitching matchups don’t exactly match up in terms of rotational order, but for game one, we’ll see Zack Wheeler take on Jesús Luzardo. Game two will bring the fans Aaron Nola vs. Braxton Garrett.

It isn’t the perfect matchup for the Marlins, but a once-undermined lineup got stronger after their fishing trip at the deadline. While already having back-to-back batting champion Luis Arráez and slugger Jorge Soler, Miami wanted more power. They reeled in Jake Burger and Josh Bell, two players who can hit the ball very far. They got hot at the right time, and a hot rotation is key to a deep run.

The Phillies know one thing: destroy the baseball, and if you’ve seen their lineup, they do exactly that. Kyle Schwarber reached a career-high 47 home runs, Nick Castellanos is back to his old self and Trea Turner is playing at an MVP level ever since his standing ovation.

Bryce Harper had Tommy John surgery over the offseason, forcing him to see a dip in power. After the all-star break, Harper suddenly transformed back into the two-time MVP we all know. With good depth in the rotation and bullpen, the Phillies want another crack at the trophy.

The Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers await the winners. Who is going to the next team hoisting the banner?

Anthony Desher is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email acd5698@psu.edu.