2025 MLB Postseason: Wild Card Series Television Schedule & Broadcasters

The logo used for the 2025 MLB Wild Card Series (American League & National League). (📸 Photo courtesy of The Sporting News)

| ● Monday, September 29, 2025

Highlights for the 2025 MLB Wild Card Series include:

• ESPN Networks (ABC, ESPN) will exclusively televise all four MLB Wild Card Series beginning on Tuesday, September 30.

• Two Wild Card Series matchups feature divisional matchups — Tigers vs. Guardians & Red Sox vs. Yankees.

• Two Wild Card Series matchups feature teams playing against each other in the postseason for just the second time ever — Padres vs. Cubs (first meeting since 1984 NLCS) & Reds vs. Dodgers (first meeting since 1995 NLDS).

• AL Central Remix: For the second straight postseason, the Tigers and Guardians will meet. The lone difference is that this meeting is taking place during the Wild Card Series, not the Division Series. The series begins Tuesday afternoon at 1:00 PM ET on ESPN.

• Cubs, Padres Play in Wild Card Series: Pete Crow-Armstrong and the Chicago Cubs host Manny Machado in this best-of-three playoff series to determine who will go to the Division Series. The series kicks off on Tuesday at 3:00 PM ET on ABC.

• Rivalry Renewed: I love this! Jazz Chisholm Jr. and the New York Yankees face their rival, Jarren Duran and the Boston Red Sox, with a Division Series berth at stake during this intriguing Wild Card Series matchup.

It's time for postseason baseball! We begin the fun with the best-of-three MLB Wild Card Series starting on Tuesday, September 30. The ESPN family of networks is your exclusive home for all of the action during the Wild Card Series round, with games on either ESPN or ABC. Each day, Tuesday through Thursday, up to four Wild Card Series games will be played.

Two bitter foes from the American League Central break the seal on postseason play as Riley Greene and the Detroit Tigers (No. 6 seed) face Steven Kwan and the AL Central champion Cleveland Guardians (No. 3 seed) in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series on Tuesday afternoon at 1:00 PM ET on ESPN, featuring commentary from Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Todd Frazier (analyst), & Taylor McGregor (reporter). The series victor here grabs a spot in the Division Series to square off against the No. 2 seed Seattle Mariners. The loser of this series is done for the year. In addition, Tigers vs. Guardians will be carried on ESPN Radio for a national audience, as described by Mike Ferrin (play-by-play) & Kyle Peterson (analyst).

A fun National League Wild Card series matchup serves the late afternoon game on ABC as Xander Bogaerts and the San Diego Padres (No. 5 seed) take on Dansby Swanson and the Chicago Cubs (No. 4 seed) in Game #1 Tuesday, beginning at 3:00 PM ET, with Kevin Brown, Jessica Mendoza, Ben McDonald, and Jesse Rogers on the call. The winner will punch their ticket to the Division Series to face the No. 1 seed Milwaukee Brewers. The loser is eliminated. ESPN Radio provides national audio coverage of Padres vs. Cubs, as play-by-play commentator Mike Couzens & analyst Chris Burke narrate the action from Wrigley Field.

Tuesday's playoff coverage shifts over to ESPN for a primetime doubleheader. First up, at 6:00 PM (ET), one of baseball's best rivalries collides with the postseason feel as Ceddanne Rafaela and the Boston Red Sox (No. 5 seed) visit Giancarlo Stanton and the defending American League champion New York Yankees (No. 4 seed) for the start of a best-of-three Wild Card Series to see which club can move on to the American League Division Series and get the No. 1 seed Toronto Blue Jays. Veteran play-by-play commentator and the voice of "Sunday Night Baseball", Karl Ravech, calls the Red Sox vs. Yankees Wild Card series alongside analysts David Cone and Eduardo Pérez. Buster Olney contributes from the field. Over on ESPN Radio, Roxy Bernstein & Gregg Olsen team up for the radio call.

Tuesday's Wild Card Series nightcap happens from Los Angeles as Hunter Greene and the Cincinnati Reds (No. 6 seed), who somehow wrestled the final Wild Card series spot away from the Mets, go up against Mookie Betts and the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers (No. 3 seed) for Game 1 of the Wild Card Series at 9:00 PM ET on ESPN, with Jon "Boog" Sciambi (play-by-play), Doug Glanville (analyst), & Alden González (reporter) handling commentary duties. The winner goes to Philadelphia and gets the assignment of opposing the No. 2 seed Phillies in the NLDS. The loser sees their campaign conclude. Play-by-play commentator Tom Hart and analyst Tim Kurkjian work the Reds vs. Dodgers series for ESPN Radio.

Following Tuesday's Wild Card Series openers, Game 2s for each series will be played on Wednesday, October 1 (at the same time slots as Game 1. If any Game 3s are needed, they will be played on Thursday, October 2.

This Saturday, the Division Series begins! Follow this link for more information about the Division Series.

You can find the series-by-series schedule and the daily television schedule for the 2025 MLB Wild Card Series below.

• 2025 MLB Postseason — Wild Card Series Series-by-Series Schedule (Subject to Change):

|| American League:

| (6) Detroit Tigers vs. (3) Cleveland Guardians -- Series tied, 0-0 (Series begins on Tuesday, September 30)

- vs. -

. Game 1 - Tuesday, September 30 - Tigers at Guardians - ESPN, 1:00 PM (ET) - Sean McDonough, Todd Frazier, Taylor McGregor

. Game 2 - Wednesday, October 1 - Tigers at Guardians - ESPN, 1:00 PM (ET) - Sean McDonough, Todd Frazier, Taylor McGregor

. * Game 3 (if nec.) - Thursday, October 2 - Tigers at Guardians - ESPN, 1:00 PM (ET) - Sean McDonough, Todd Frazier, Taylor McGregor

| (5) Boston Red Sox vs. (4) New York Yankees -- Series tied, 0-0 (Series begins on Tuesday, September 30)

  vs. -

. Game 1 - Tuesday, September 30 - Red Sox at Yankees - ESPN, 6:00 PM (ET) - Karl Ravech, Eduardo Pérez, David Cone, Buster Olney

. Game 2 - Wednesday, October 1 - Red Sox at Yankees - ESPN, 6:00 PM (ET) - Karl Ravech, Eduardo Pérez, David Cone, Buster Olney

. * Game 3 (if nec.) - Thursday, October 2 - Red Sox at Yankees - ESPN, 6:00 PM (ET) - Karl Ravech, Eduardo Pérez, David Cone, Buster Olney

|| National League:

| (6) Cincinnati Reds vs. (3) Los Angeles Dodgers -- Series tied, 0-0 (Series begins on Tuesday, September 30)

 - vs. -

. Game 1 - Tuesday, September 30 - Reds at Dodgers - ESPN, 9:00 PM (ET) - Jon "Boog" Sciambi, Doug Glanville, Alden González

. Game 2 - Wednesday, October 1 - Reds at Dodgers - ESPN, 9:00 PM (ET) - Jon "Boog" Sciambi, Doug Glanville, Alden González

. * Game 3 (if nec.) - Thursday, October 2 - Reds at Dodgers - ESPN, 9:00 PM (ET) - Jon "Boog" Sciambi, Doug Glanville, Alden González

| (5) San Diego Padres vs. (4) Chicago Cubs -- Series tied, 0-0 (Series begins on Tuesday, September 30)

 - vs. -

. Game 1 - Tuesday, September 30 - Padres at Cubs - ABC, 3:00 PM (ET) - Kevin Brown, Jessica Mendoza, Ben McDonald, Jesse Rogers

. Game 2 - Wednesday, October 1 - Padres at Cubs - ABC, 3:00 PM (ET) - Kevin Brown, Jessica Mendoza, Ben McDonald, Jesse Rogers

. * Game 3 (if nec.) - Thursday, October 2 - Padres at Cubs - ABC, 3:00 PM (ET) - Kevin Brown, Jessica Mendoza, Ben McDonald, Jesse Rogers

• 2025 MLB Postseason — Wild Card Series Daily Television Schedule (All Times ET and Subject to Change):

| ▪ Tuesday, September 30

. Game 1 - Tigers at Guardians - ESPN, 1:00 PM (ET) - Sean McDonough, Todd Frazier, Taylor McGregor

. Game 1 - Padres at Cubs - ABC, 3:00 PM (ET) - Kevin Brown, Jessica Mendoza, Ben McDonald, Jesse Rogers

. Game 1 - Red Sox at Yankees - ESPN, 6:00 PM (ET) - Karl Ravech, Eduardo Pérez, David Cone, Buster Olney

. Game 1 - Reds at Dodgers - ESPN, 9:00 PM (ET) - Jon "Boog" Sciambi, Doug Glanville, Alden González

| ▪ Wednesday, October 1

. Game 2 - Tigers at Guardians - ESPN, 1:00 PM (ET) - Sean McDonough, Todd Frazier, Taylor McGregor

. Game 2 - Padres at Cubs - ABC, 3:00 PM (ET) - Kevin Brown, Jessica Mendoza, Ben McDonald, Jesse Rogers

. Game 2 - Red Sox at Yankees - ESPN, 6:00 PM (ET) - Karl Ravech, Eduardo Pérez, David Cone, Buster Olney

. Game 2 - Reds at Dodgers - ESPN, 9:00 PM (ET) - Jon "Boog" Sciambi, Doug Glanville, Alden González

| ▪ Thursday, October 2

. * Game 3 (if nec.) - Tigers at Guardians - ESPN, 1:00 PM (ET) - Sean McDonough, Todd Frazier, Taylor McGregor

. * Game 3 (if nec.) - Padres at Cubs - ABC, 3:00 PM (ET) - Kevin Brown, Jessica Mendoza, Ben McDonald, Jesse Rogers

. * Game 3 (if nec.) - Red Sox at Yankees - ESPN, 6:00 PM (ET) - Karl Ravech, Eduardo Pérez, David Cone, Buster Olney

. * Game 3 (if nec.) - Reds at Dodgers - ESPN, 9:00 PM (ET) - Jon "Boog" Sciambi, Doug Glanville, Alden González

• ESPN Radio Assignments for 2025 MLB Wild Card Series:

. (6) Detroit Tigers vs. (3) Cleveland Guardians: Mike Ferrin & Kyle Peterson

. (5) San Diego Padres vs. (4) Chicago Cubs: Mike Couzens & Chris Burke

. (5) Boston Red Sox vs. (4) New York Yankees: Roxy Bernstein & Gregg Olson

. (6) Cincinnati Reds vs. (3) Los Angeles Dodgers: Tom Hart & Tim Kurkjian

|| Sources 🛈: SportsLogos.Net, ESPN Press Room, & MLB ||

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