The Chicago Cubs are heading back to the MLB postseason, and they will open October with a familiar opponent.
The Cubs will face the San Diego Padres in the National League Wild Card Series beginning Tuesday, Sept. 29, with the series taking place at Petco Park. Chicago enters the postseason as the No. 5 seed in the National League, while San Diego is the No. 4 seed.
It is a rematch of last year’s Wild Card Series, when the Cubs eliminated the Padres in three games at Wrigley Field. This time, however, Chicago will have to try to advance on the road.
Cubs Return to the Postseason
Chicago officially clinched its playoff spot on Sept. 24 with a 2-1 victory over the Miami Marlins.
The postseason appearance is the Cubs’ second straight, marking the first time since 2015-18 that the franchise has reached the playoffs in consecutive seasons.
The road to October was anything but easy. Chicago dealt with injuries throughout the season, including the loss of Cade Horton and Ben Brown, while also experiencing both a 10-game losing streak and a pair of 10-game winning streaks.
Despite those setbacks, the Cubs continued to find ways to win and eventually secured their place in the postseason.
Pete Crow-Armstrong Leads the Way
One of the biggest stories surrounding the Cubs this season has been Pete Crow-Armstrong.
Crow-Armstrong became just the seventh player in MLB history to join the 40-40 club, combining 40 home runs with 40 stolen bases.
His combination of power and speed gives Chicago another dynamic weapon at the top of its lineup. The Cubs will need their best offensive players to deliver against a Padres pitching staff that will have home-field advantage.
Veterans such as Seiya Suzuki, Ian Happ, Nico Hoerner and Dansby Swanson will also be important as Chicago enters the postseason.
A Rematch With San Diego
The Padres will be looking for a different result this time around.
San Diego secured home-field advantage in the series after finishing with the No. 4 seed. The Padres won 91 games during the regular season, while Chicago finished 89-73.
The Cubs went 9-4 against the Milwaukee Brewers during the regular season but will now have to deal with a Padres team that has plenty of postseason experience.
Last year’s series showed just how quickly a best-of-three matchup can turn. Chicago eventually won the deciding Game 3, 3-1, to move on.
Now, both teams get another chance to settle the score.
Wild Card Series Schedule
The Cubs and Padres will play a best-of-three series, with San Diego hosting all potential games.
Game 1: Tuesday, Sept. 29 — 10 p.m. ET
Game 2: Wednesday, Sept. 30 — 10 p.m. ET
Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 1 — 10 p.m. ET, if necessary
The winner will advance to the National League Division Series and face the top-seeded Milwaukee Brewers.
For Chicago, the opportunity is simple: win two games and keep the postseason journey alive.
The Cubs have already shown they can overcome adversity throughout the 2026 season. Now, they will try to take that experience into San Diego and repeat last year’s success against the Padres.
October baseball is here, and the Cubs are back.
