The San Diego Padres travel to Chicago to face the Cubs in the National League Wild Card Series beginning on Sept. 30 at Wrigley Field.
The Cubs clinched home field advantage after defeating the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday. San Diego is dodging a bullet; Chicago’s rookie phenom right-hander Cade Horton was diagnosed with a right rib fracture and will miss the Wild Card Series. He won’t be eligible to return until Game 5 of the NL Division Series, which would take place on Oct. 11 if the Cubs advance that far.
Horton pitched to a 11-4 record with a 2.67 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP in 22 starts (23 appearances, his first appearance contained an opener). In 12 starts post-All-Star break, he had a 1.03 ERA over 61.1 innings, the best mark in Major League Baseball.
The Padres will be without a key player of their own, trade deadline acquisition Ramon Laureano, who fractured a finger last week.
With injuries in mind, here are five players to watch for in the Wild Card Series:
Cubs Right Fielder/Designated Hitter Seiya Suzuki
Suzuki was an All-Star snub this year, leading MLB in RBI at the time voting closed. He fell into a massive slump in July and August, hitting just five home runs and 15 extra-base hits. He broke out of a 38-game home run drought on Sept. 25 with a pair of moonshots and hit a home run in each of the final three games of the season. If Suzuki’s bat stays hot, it could spell trouble for San Diego.
Padres Right Fielder Fernando Tatis Jr.
Tatis Jr. caught fire in September, hitting .293 with seven home runs, 14 RBI and a .900 OPS. He hit safely in 10 of the final 11 games, including five multi-hit performances. Matthew Boyd will toe the rubber for Chicago in Game 1, and while Tatis is one of the most talented hitters in baseball, he is just 1-for-6 with an RBI against Boyd in his career. He fares better against Shota Imanaga, the Cubs’ likely Game 2 starter, going 3-for-8 with a walk him.
Cubs First Baseman Michael Busch
Busch picked up where he left off in his rookie season with the Cubs. After hitting 21 home runs with 65 RBI in 152 games last season, the powerful lefty hit 34 home runs with 90 RBI in 155 games this season. His wRc+ was top 10 in MLB and he has been a steady, dominating presence in Chicago’s lineup.
Padres Bullpen
This is obviously multiple players, but the Padres bullpen has been lights-out. They held the best ERA by a long shot for most of the season and the unit got even stronger after adding closer Mason Miller from the Athletics. If the Cubs can’t get to San Diego’s starters, it may be a lopsided series.
Cubs Centerfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong
The Wild Card Series wild card. Crow-Armstrong put together a fabulous first full season in the majors, belting 31 home runs and 95 RBI while playing Platinum Glove-caliber defense in center field. Crow-Armstrong became the first Cub in history to have a 30/30/30 season (30+ home runs, stolen bases and doubles), and while it took a while to get to 30 due to a massive slump, the 23-year-old appeared to trend in the right direction with a pair of homers in their final series against St. Louis. If Crow-Armstrong is productive in this series, he could be the difference-maker.