The MLB regular season is a grueling affair. Teams experience plenty of bumps and bruises and highs and lows along their 162-game schedule.
But it’s all worth it to hoist a World Series trophy.
The 2025 MLB playoffs begin Tuesday and will kick off in style. Eight total teams will take the field to get things started on the right foot. One of those teams is the defending-champion Los Angeles Dodgers, which is looking for its second-straight championship after winning it all last season.
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Elsewhere around the league, the Cleveland Guardians will once again look to bury the Detroit Tigers in Game 1. The San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs also square off in one of the tightest first-round matchups in the wild-card series. And one of baseball’s most storied rivalries — the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees — will also get things started.
Whichever teams come away with wins will inch closer to advancing to the Division Series. The MLB wild-card series is a best-of-three format, so winning Tuesday gives a team a massive advantage moving forward.
Who will get out to a promising playoff start? Follow along with Yahoo Sports on Tuesday to catch all the action.
MLB playoff bracket, wild card schedule for Game 1
No. 6 Detroit Tigers vs. No. 3 Cleveland Guardians, 1:08 p.m. ET on ESPN
No. 5 San Diego Padres vs. No. 4 Chicago Cubs, 3:08 p.m. ET on ABC
No. 5 Boston Red Sox vs. No. 4 New York Yankees, 6:08 p.m. ET on ESPN
No. 6 Cincinnati Reds vs. No. 3 Los Angeles Dodgers, 9:08 p.m. ET on ESPN
MLB wild card Game 1 live blog
Follow along with Yahoo Sports for live updates, highlights and more as the wild-card round begins on Tuesday, September 30: