It’s officially MLB Playoffs season. This week, the march to the 2026 World Series begins, as the 12 best teams in Major League Baseball fight for a shot at a world title.
How to Watch
Watch MLB on NBC and streaming on Peacock.
The Playoffs kick off with the Wild Card round, and if you’re hoping to see every game, NBC Sports has you covered. Every single Wild Card matchup — at least eight games and up to 12 — will be broadcast across NBC and Peacock in the coming days, and it all begins in Atlanta, where the Braves host the Philadelphia Phillies in an NL East rivalry showdown. Let’s take a closer look at the matchup.
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How to watch Phillies vs. Braves in the Wild Card?
The Phillies and the Braves begin their Wild Card series Tuesday, September 29 at 2 p.m. on NBC, and streaming simultaneously on Peacock. Game 2 follows on September 30 at 2 p.m., and if necessary, Game 3 will arrive on October 1. All three games will air live on NBC and stream simultaneously on Peacock.
Phillies vs. Braves – Wild Card start time
The Phillies and the Braves will play at 2 p.m. ET on both September 29 and September 30, with the timing for Game 3 announced if necessary.
Phillies vs. Braves preview
Though both teams have plenty of offensive weapons, the series might come down to the strength of the bullpens for each squad. The Braves pitchers are top five in the league in wins, ERA, and saves, while the Phillies’ pitching squad led the league in strikeouts in the regular season and trailed only the Dodgers in quality starts.
Those stats may point to a pitching duel, depending on who starts and finishes each game, but that doesn’t mean we’ll miss out on slugging. Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber led the league in home runs in the regular season, finished tied with Pete Crow-Armstrong with 45, while the Braves boast a Top 10 batting average across all of baseball. Either team has the capacity to break things wide open with a couple of well-timed big hits, so whether you like the chess match of baseball or exciting, explosive offenses, you’ll probably get what you’re after with this series.
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Phillies vs. Braves players to watch
While the Phillies haven’t yet announced their starting pitcher for Game 1, the Braves will put Chris Sale on the mound to set the tone. Sale’s got the third-best ERA in baseball heading into the Playoffs, and the fifth-best WHIP score, so he brings a good chance for Atlanta to stifle Philly’s offense early in the series.
But it won’t be easy. Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper boast a combined 74 home runs and 184 RBI through the regular season, and they’re just the tip of the batting iceberg for the Phillies. If they can get some momentum going, it’ll be a battle for the Braves’ pitching rotation.
Who’s on the broadcast team for Phillies vs. Braves?
Matt Vasgersian will call the action for NBC Sports, with analysis from John Kruk and C.J. Nitkowski and on-field reporting from Ashley ShahAhmadi. Joey Votto will provide “Inside the Pitch” commentary from the batter’s perspective on select at-bats.