Which NL Wild Card Team Holds the Edge in Padres vs. Cubs?
With their win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night, the San Diego Padres officially clinched home-field advantage in the upcoming NL Wild Card series. On Tuesday, they'll face off against the Chicago Cubs in a rematch of last year's Wild Card with one major difference: this one will be at Petco Park instead of …
In the upcoming NL Wild Card series between the San Diego Padres and the Chicago Cubs, the home-field advantage will be crucial for the Padres as they host the game at Petco Park. Both teams possess standout players who could tip the scales in their favor.
For the starting pitchers, both teams have options, but Luis Campusano (Padres) appears to have an edge over Chicago's Miguel Amaya. Campusano's offensive numbers (.268/.363/.437) surpass Kelly's (.258/.336/.376), and his defense at the plate is slightly better.
In the infield, the Padres' Ty France edges out Chicago's Michael Busch. France's superior slugging, contact hitting, and defense (+7 Outs Above Average) give the Padres a slight advantage. Meanwhile, the Cubs' Nico Hoerner has a slight advantage over San Diego's Xander Bogaerts at second base, due to Hoerner's better fielding (+9 OAA) despite Bogaerts' slightly better offensive production.
At shortstop, the Padres' Xander Bogaerts holds a narrow edge over Chicago's Dansby Swanson, primarily due to Bogaerts' hot batting in the last 15 games. In the outfield, the Padres boast a clear trifecta of talent in Dustin Harris, Jackson Merrill, and Fernando Tatis Jr., making it difficult to choose a single edge.
Considering these factors, the San Diego Padres hold the edge in this NL Wild Card matchup, with their home-field advantage, superior pitching and offensive production, and stronger overall roster depth.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
