Cubs need to lock in on one specific Michael King pitch in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Round

The Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres will open the National League Wild Card Round on Tuesday at Petco Park. Behind National League MVP front-runner Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Cubs hope to shake off a disappointing month of September - their first below-.500 month of the season.

The man tasked with stopping them in Game 1? Veteran Padres right-hander Michael King.

King, 31, is coming off another strong season with the Friars. He made 32 starts, working a career-high 185 innings and pitching to a 3.21 ERA. The former 12th-round pick out of Boston College has been remarkably consistent in San Diego and gives the Padres someone they can trust in the series opener in front of the home faithful.

Before we dig into what the Cubs' plan of attack might look like, let's break down how King gets his outs. He leans heavily on a sinker + change-up combination that accounts for 54.3 percent of his offerings. The right-hander also mixes in a four-seamer, sweeper and slider, so there's plenty to work with in a well-rounded arsenal.

Cubs need to lock in on the sinker to find success against Michael King

Knowing King throws his sinker more than any other pitch, the Cubs need to lock in on it early on. They've had a good amount of success against sinkers this year, led by first baseman Michael Busch, Michael Conforto and Miguel Amaya.

Conforto, in particular, could be an X-factor for Chicago in Game 1. He's hit .432 against sinkers this year with a slugging percentage pushing .700. The slug hasn't been there for PCA, but he's put bat-to-ball consistently, batting .341 against the sinker.

There aren't many guys on roster who've had problems with sinkerballers this year, but if they start chasing change-ups, there are clear holes in the lineup. Amaya and Dansby Swanson both have whiff rates above 40 percent against change-ups in 2026 and Ian Happ and Nico Hoerner have both struggled, as well.

After limping to the finish line, can the Cubs turn things around and start picking up some steam to open the MLB playoffs? To avoid playing from behind, they'll need to get things going early against King and the Padres on Tuesday.

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