2026 MLB playoff predictions: Expert picks for Yankees vs. Red Sox, Cubs vs. Padres and every Wild Card Series
The 2026 baseball postseason gets underway on Tuesday with all four Wild Card Series
• 6 min read
The 2026 postseason gets underway on Tuesday with all four Wild Card Series. AL East division rivals, the New York Yankees (No. 4 seed) and Boston Red Sox (No. 5 seed) will face each other for a showdown at Yankee Stadium, while the Houston Astros (No. 3 seed) vs. Chicago White Sox (No. 6 seed) will finish out the American League side. Meanwhile, in a rematch from last season, the San Diego Padres (No. 4 seed) face the Chicago Cubs (No. 5 seed) and the Atlanta Braves (No. 3 seed) round out the Wild Card Series matchups against their own division rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies (No. 6 seed).
As such, your CBS Sports MLB experts are here to predict how each of the best-of-three series will go.
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Kate Feldman
Below are picks from our MLB writers for every Wild Card Series, plus odds for each series from DraftKings.
Braves vs. Phillies
(Series odds: Braves -125, Phillies +105)
 Mike Axisa |  Julian McWilliams |  Dayn Perry |  Matt Snyder | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  |
Axisa: Chris Sale vs. however the Phillies plan to cobble together nine innings in Game 1 is such a mismatch on paper that it feels like a trap. The Phillies finally saw signs of life from their offense Sunday and I bet that gets them moving on a nice roll. I don't feel great about any of my postseason picks this year. Everything is so wide open. This is the Wild Card Series prediction I am least confident in. Pick: Phillies in 2
McWilliams: There's just so much uncertainty surrounding Philadelphia right now. The Phillies barely made it into the postseason after stumbling. They had to use Zack Wheeler to reach the playoffs at all. Jesus Luzardo was just activated from the injured list. Their margin for error feels extremely thin against an Atlanta team that enters the series in a much more stable position. Pick: Braves in 2
Perry: The Braves are the better team, and the Phillies harmed their chances by dragging out their clinching of the third and final wild-card spot. Having to start Zack Wheeler in Game 162 means Don Mattingly can't set up his rotation in optimal fashion for this series, and I think that will make the difference. Pick: Braves in 3
Snyder: The Phillies only have two good hitters (Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper) and the Braves can just pitch around them. Plus, what looked like a great playoff rotation isn't in good shape right now with Zack Wheeler and Cristopher Sanchez's struggles down the stretch. I'll say the Braves find a way to get one of the two games after they win Game 1 behind Chris Sale. Pick: Braves in 3
Astros vs. White Sox
(Series odds: Astros -135, White Sox +115)
Mike Axisa | Julian McWilliams | Dayn Perry | Matt Snyder | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Axisa: Both pitching staffs look gassed and normally I would lean toward the team that has someone like Yordan Alvarez, the kind of player who can change the series every time he steps to the plate. Against my better judgment, I'll pick the youthful White Sox, who have plenty of power themselves, and it feels like a little more pitching available to them right now. Especially in the bullpen. Pick: White Sox in 2
McWilliams: This kind of seems like a no-brainer. Outside of Yordan Alvarez, there just aren't many true threats on this Astros team, either offensively or on the pitching side. Meanwhile, the White Sox can slug with anyone, and that power will keep them in games even if their pitching isn't perfect. Pick: White Sox in 2
Perry: Neither team is a world-beater or what we think of when we think of World Series contenders. The Astros and their -32 run differential, however, are a borderline bad team that snuck in thanks to a terrible division. The Sox have their flaws, but not as many as Houston does. Pick: White Sox in 3
Snyder: The Astros don't belong here, so I'm holding out hope the White Sox treat them that way. The White Sox's powerful offense should have its way with anyone not named Hunter Brown or Josh Hader and I'll say they find just enough pitching to get by. Pick: White Sox in 2
Yankees vs. Red Sox
(Series odds: Yankees -160, Red Sox +130)
Mike Axisa | Julian McWilliams | Dayn Perry | Matt Snyder | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Axisa: Will this be the lowest-scoring Wild Card Series? These two teams allowed the second- and third-fewest runs during the regular season and both offenses are compromised due to injury. Even if Aaron Judge misses the series, I like New York's offense better and feel better about them getting those two or three big swings that often decide a best-of-three series. There might be fewer than 20 runs scored in the three games though. Pick: Yankees in 3
McWilliams: The Yankees are the better team, even without Aaron Judge. The Red Sox, probably even more so than New York, are hobbled entering this series. In a matchup where neither team is at full strength, I'm going with health and talent. Pick: Yankees in 3
Perry: The starting rotations are pretty much the story in this one for me, and I like the Yankees' rotation a bit more, especially in a best-of-three series. I think that's the difference, and I'm not sure Boston's offense gets an edge with the Yankees missing Aaron Judge. The Yankees are just the better team. Pick: Yankees in 3
Snyder: Since that ridiculous 32-5 run, the Red Sox went 23-24. They just aren't that great a team. The Yankees have enough offense to win without Aaron Judge, but the main course here is their starting pitching. I think it'll be quick and relatively easy. Pick: Yankees in 2
Padres vs. Cubs
(Series odds: Padres -120, Cubs +100)
Mike Axisa | Julian McWilliams | Dayn Perry | Matt Snyder | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  |
Axisa: The Padres are flying high these days and their rotation has settled a bit now that Nick Pivetta has returned. He and Michael King are a formidable 1-2 punch. I'd go with the Cubs had Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes, two personal favorites, not stumbled to the finish of the regular season. Also, the bullpens are a total mismatch here. Bradgley Rodriguez is San Diego's No. 3 option in relief and he would be Chicago's clear-cut No. 1 guy. Pick: Padres in 3
McWilliams: The Cubs don't have much swing-and-miss in their pitching staff, and I think that gets exposed in this series against a potent San Diego offense. The Padres have too many ways to hurt you, and if Chicago can't miss bats, it's going to be difficult to keep that lineup under control. Pick: Padres in 2
Perry: For my money, this is the most compelling of the Wild Card Series. I can see it going either way -- never mind that I can see any postseason series going either way. I think the difference-maker will be the juggernaut San Diego bullpen. There's just so much depth and swing-and-miss in the pen, and first-year manager Craig Stammen has proved quite adept at running it. Bullpens take on outsized importance in the playoffs, and I think that's the leading factor in this one. Pick: Padres in 3
Snyder: I was going to pick the Padres here, but then Alex Bregman hit two homers and also doubled in a four-hit barrage on Sunday. With him back in the saddle, the Cubs' offense is the most dangerous in baseball, as they led the majors in runs and OPS this season. The pitching staff was a major problem for weeks, but things started to fall into place over the last few weeks. The Padres are red hot, but the heat has to run out at some point. Pick: Cubs in 3
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