The NL Wild Card Series That Could End in an Upset

This NL wild card matchup could end in favor of the underdog.

Sep 27, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) and Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (3) celebrate win against the Tampa Bay Rays at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The postseason is finally here. To kick things off, the lowest seeded division winners and three wild cards per league will lock horns. The Philadelphia Phillies are in Atlanta taking on the Braves, while the Chicago Cubs are facing the San Diego Padres on the National League side.

The Braves are the lowest seeded division winner in the senior circuit, and they will look to take down their division rivals in the Phillies. They have home field advantage in all three of the wild card series games, but to call them the favorites might be premature. The Phillies barely snuck into the playoffs, but this is a team that could upset in the wild card round and potentially even beyond.

Phillies a team to watch for possible upset

Sep 26, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; From right to left Bryce Harper and Bryson Stott and Trea Turner and Alec Bohm look on during a pitching change during the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Unfortunately for Philadelphia, they are without Luis Arraez, who got hurt during the final series of the regular season, but that doesn't mean the Phillies should be taken lightly. In their lineup, they still have Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, Brandon Marsh and J.T. Realmuto. Jesus Luzardo drew the start for Game 1 of the series, but even if the Phillies lose, they have Zack Wheeler and Cristopher Sanchez waiting in the wings for the final two games.

Philadelphia won 96 games last year on their way to a division title, but were knocked out in the NLDS by the Los Angeles Dodgers. This year, they won just 88 games and barely hung on to win the third wild card spot. But their roster has championship caliber players on it.

Perhaps a fair comparison would be the 2006 St. Louis Cardinals. That team won just 83 games during the regular season, almost collapsed out of playoff position, and barely snuck in on the last day of the season. What followed was one of the most magical championship runs in Major League Baseball history.

Because the Phillies have such a talented roster, they could easily go on a run to win a World Series title for the first time since 2008. They have the pitching necessary to get deep into the playoffs, and their lineup is still loaded, so they cannot be overlooked despite the fact that they were the last team into the postseason.

It will be interesting to see how they fare against the Braves, but they could be a team that pulls off an upset or two along the way.