Cubs playoff schedule against the Padres officially set for first 2 Wild Card games

In recent days, we gained more clarity regarding the Chicago Cubs' immediate postseason future. First, it was the opponent - the San Diego Padres. Then, on Saturday, with a commanding win over the Cardinals, the Cubs clinched home-field advantage for the NL Wild Card Series. Now, we have our start times - at least for the first two games of the best-of-three series.

Game 1 is set for Tuesday afternoon with a 2:08 pm CT start time and Wednesday's Game 2 will start at the same time. The Cubs-Padres matchup will be the second game on the broadcast schedule each day, behind only the 12:08 pm CT start for one of the AL Wild Card Series.

Chicago enters the 2025 MLB Postseason as the #4 seed in the National League, trailing only the three division winners: Milwaukee (1), Philadelphia (2) and Los Angeles (3). The final wild card team is yet to be determined, pending the outcome of games on Sunday afternoon. Either the Reds or Mets will round out the playoff field in the NL.

It's a mixed bag when it comes to the Cubs right now. The offense, which drove the team to new heights early in the year, seems to have regained its form at the perfect time, led by Pete Crow-Armstrong, Michael Busch and Seiya Suzuki. The first 90+ win Cubs team since 2018, this is a group capable of doing some special things.

But this isn't a team without questions heading into October.

The most pressing concern is in the starting rotation, which will be without rookie breakout sensation Cade Horton for all of the Wild Card Series and much of the NLDS (and even that is a best case scenario. That likely leaves Shota Imanaga, Matthew Boyd and Jameson Taillon starting the three first-round games (assuming all three are needed) and while all solid in their own right, none stack up with some of the big-name aces other teams boast.

Cubs, Wrigley Field to host daytime playoff baseball this week

The season began with the goal of returning to the postseason for the first time since 2020 - and the first time in a full-length season since 2018. That goal was accomplished, although many still see finishing second in the NL Central yet again as a shortcoming of the club.

Chicago could have a chance at redemption, though. If they can take care of business against San Diego, they'll square off with the division champion and #1 overall seed Brewers in a best-of-five NLDS showdown. Nobody would remember how the regular season went if the Cubs knocked Milwaukee out of the playoffs and advanced to their fourth NLCS in the last decade.