2026 MLB Playoff Day One Open Discussion Thread

The Cincinnati Reds finished below .500 and missed the playoffs, though Elly De La Cruz won the National League's Player of the Month award for September. Four playoff games are scheduled for today, including the Phillies hosting the Braves at 2pm ET, with Jesus Luzardo (14-5, 2.86 ERA) facing Chris Sale (14-9, 2.16 ERA). The Braves won the NL East at 94-68 while the Phillies secured the final wild card at 88-74, with Atlanta holding a 9-4 regular season advantage. The White Sox and Astros will play at 5pm ET on Peacock, with Houston hosting as the AL West champion at 81-81 and Chicago arriving as a wild card at 84-78, though both teams plan to use bullpen days rather than traditional starting pitchers.

Summary written by MLB Feed Network based on the original reporting. How we write summaries