If day one of the MLB postseason is any sign of what’s ahead, we are all in for an unforgettable ride. The 2025 Wild Card round kicked off yesterday with 4 games, and not even one of them lacked drama. From strikeout masterclasses to multi-homer performances, Tuesday undoubtedly served a full-course meal of playoff intensity. And the best part is that we’re just getting started with all of this.
With all 4 Game 1 matchups now in the books, a few teams are sitting pretty with 1-0 series leads, looking to strike early and move on to the Divisional round. Others are, of course, suddenly facing elimination.
Here’s a breakdown of what happened on the opening day of the Wild Card Series and where things stand heading into a jam-packed Wednesday afternoon of baseball.
Tigers Odds to Win WS: +1300
Guardians Odds to Win WS: +5000
Detroit hasn't made much postseason noise in recent years, but they came into Game 1 ready to shake up that narrative despite limping through the end of the season. Behind a dominant outing from Cy Young candidate Tarik Skubal, the Tigers edged the Guardians 2-1 in Cleveland.
Skubal was absolutely untouchable. He struck out 14 Guardians across 7.2 innings, which tied a franchise postseason record in the process. The only run Cleveland could scratch out came on an infield single by Gabriel Arias in the 4th. Outside of that, there wasn’t much the Guardians could do. Skubal’s slider was biting, his fastball was humming, and the Guardians looked lost at the plate. Even the small amount of contact they had wouldn’t make it out of the infield.
Zach McKinstry’s 7th-inning sacrifice bunt gave Detroit the go-ahead run, showing just how much small-ball can still matter in October. The Tigers now sit one win away from advancing to face the top-seeded Mariners in the ALDS. They’ll hand the ball to Casey Mize today, who has been decent in his own right, hoping he can close out the series.
Cubs Odds to Win WS: +1000
Padres Odds to Win WS: +2800
Unlike the Tigers, Chicago leaned on the long ball to get past San Diego in Game 1, and it came from some unexpected places. Seiya Suzuki and Carson Kelly crushed back-to-back dingers in the 5th inning to help lift the Cubs to a 3-1 win at Wrigley Field.
It was a classic postseason grind-it-out kind of game. The Padres struck first, taking advantage of a defensive miscue in the 2nd inning, but that was it because once Suzuki launched his 424-foot solo shot to tie it, the momentum shifted. Kelly followed up with his own HR just a few pitches later, and that was all she wrote.
Nick Pivetta gave the Padres a solid 5 innings with 9 strikeouts, but 2 mistake pitches cost him dearly. Meanwhile, Chicago’s bullpen shut things down late. Daniel Palencia and Brad Keller combined for 3.2 innings of hitless relief, and just like that, the Cubs found themselves a win away from advancing to the NLDS.
We’re thinking that Game 2 should be another tight one. Dylan Cease will start for San Diego, with Andrew Kittredge going for the Cubs. It goes without saying that the Padres need a response, or their season ends tonight.
Red Sox Odds to Win WS: +1400
Yankees Odds to Win WS: +1500
Garrett Crochet was the story in the Bronx, he was everything the Sox could’ve hoped for. The LHP mowed down Yankees hitters, retiring 17 straight at one point and throwing 7.2 innings of undeniable brilliance. His effort helped Boston take Game 1, 3-1, and inch closer to a date with the Blue Jays in the ALDS.
It wasn’t just Crochet doing the damage, though, as Masataka Yoshida came off the bench in the 7th and delivered the biggest hit of the game — a pinch-hit, 2-run single that flipped the script. Up until that point, the Yankees had led 1-0 on an Anthony Volpe yard bomb.
New York’s bullpen gave up the lead quickly after starter Luke Weaver went to the bench, and the offense simply never got it back. Aroldis Chapman, of course, sealed it with a 5-out save, striking out 2 along the way. The Red Sox came into this series as underdogs, but they played like anything but. It’s still an uphill battle for them.
Game 2 now becomes a must-win for the Yankees, who haven’t been eliminated in a Wild Card round since the format expanded. As one of the most punishing lineups in the league, the odds are still in their favor for this series, however.
Dodgers Odds to Win WS: +370
Reds Odds to Win WS: +8000
In what turned into a home run derby at Dodger Stadium late last night, Los Angeles blew past Cincinnati 10-5 in Game 1. Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar Hernández each went deep a couple of times, and the Dodgers' lineup delivered a 15-hit attack to back Blake Snell’s solid start.
Ohtani wasted no time getting started, tacking on the runs. He homered in the 1st and again in the 6th, showing why he's one of the game’s most dangerous bats in both the regular and postseason. Hernandez added his own fireworks with homers in the 3rd and 5th. When this Dodgers lineup is clicking, they can bury teams fast — and they did just that to the Reds.
However, to everyone’s surprise, Cincinnati made it interesting with a 5-run 7th and 8th, but the hole was just too deep to crawl out of. Hunter Greene lasted just 3 innings and gave up 3 home runs. That’s really not the start the Reds were hoping for in their first playoff game since 2020.
With a 1-0 series lead, the Dodgers are in a strong spot to move on to the NLDS against the Phillies. Yoshinobu Yamamoto is set to take the mound today, which only makes the Reds’ challenge that much more difficult.
As of now, here’s how the postseason picture stands—
Detroit leads Cleveland 1-0
Boston leads New York 1-0
Chicago leads San Diego 1-0
Los Angeles leads Cincinnati 1-0
That puts 4 teams on the verge of elimination — Cleveland, New York, San Diego, and Cincinnati — heading into today's Game 2s. It’s win or go home, and in October, that brings out the best, or sometimes the worst, in teams. That’s just how the first round goes with only 3 games to get it done.
The higher seeds — Blue Jays, Mariners, Phillies, and Brewers — are all sitting tight, waiting to see who they’ll face in the Division Series. But they’ve surely been watching. If Game 1s showed anything, it's that lower seeds aren’t backing down and are hungrier than ever. Every Wild Card series is still up for grabs, but the pressure is ramping up fast.
While we won’t make bold predictions here, there are a few things worth watching closely.
For one, all 4 underdogs won Game 1. That alone makes today’s matchups more intense. Top-seeded home teams don’t want to bow out early, especially not in sweeps. The Guardians and Yankees both had strong regular seasons but now face elimination. The Padres and Reds were solid down the stretch, but need better pitching if they want to extend their seasons beyond the Wild Card or even into the Divisional Series.
Then there are, of course, the pitchers. Tanner Bibee gets the ball for Cleveland after Skubal carved up their lineup pretty good yesterday. Carlos Rodon will try to give the Yankees a chance after their bats went cold last night. Dylan Cease needs to be sharper than ever for San Diego, and the Reds are up against one of Japan’s best in Yamamoto.
If day one was tense, day 2 is edge-of-your-seat stuff. Baseball in October is built for moments like these — high stakes, pressure-packed, and often decided by inches.
This Wild Card format just doesn’t allow for slow starts. One bad game puts you on the ropes and your season on the line. And that’s where Cleveland, New York, San Diego, and Cincinnati find themselves.
Meanwhile, Detroit, Boston, Chicago, and L.A. are all one win away from moving on and not backing down. They’re also looking to gain some extra rest before the Division Series. But nothing is guaranteed, and October has a funny way of flipping scripts quickly. All it takes is one swing, one mistake, or one unexpected hero.