National League Wild Card Aces

In a three-game wild card series, one dominant starting pitching effort can be the difference. Here is a look at the recent form and playoff history of some of the most likely impactful starting pitchers in the National League Wild Card round. 

Chris Sale – Atlanta Braves

Sale won an overdue Cy Young award in his first season with Atlanta in 2024, but he couldn’t pitch in the postseason with back spasms. After an abbreviated campaign in 2025, he solidified his Hall of Fame credentials with a fantastic 2026 season, finishing with a 2.16 ERA with 200 strikeouts and likely an eighth season in which he’ll finish in the top five of the Cy Young voting. Sale pitched the last out of the World Series win with Boston in 2018, but he doesn’t have a strong postseason history, featuring a 6.35 ERA in 34 innings including seven postseason starts, all with the Red Sox. Sale completed six innings in 19 different starts this season, but he has never done that in the postseason. He does have great numbers vs. the Phillies this season with a just six earned runs over 26 innings and he has a dominant 1.66 ERA in 87 innings at Truist Park this season. 

Jesus Luzardo – Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies needed Zach Wheeler to pitch Sunday in Game 162 as he won’t be available to start early in the Wild Card round. Cristopher Sanchez pitched Friday and has been inconsistent late in the season as Luzardo may be the most important starter for the Phillies in the Wild Card round. A great talent that had inconsistent results early in his career, Luzardo has settled into great form in two seasons with Philadelphia. His 2026 line features a 2.86 ERA and an 11.1 K/9 and he had strong results down the stretch despite missing time in September with a shoulder issue. He pitched an inning in Sunday’s regular season finale to prove healthy and get back on a big league mound, and his last start was a nine-inning complete game vs. the Braves, who he also pitched well against in two starts last season. Since late June, Luzardo has a 1.65 ERA while going 8-1 in decisions. For the season he had a 1.76 ERA in his road innings as he can be the difference maker in helping Philadelphia to win a game early in this series. 

Michael King – San Diego Padres

King lacks the big strikeout counts and proven track record of a typical postseason ace, but he had a 3.21 ERA in 185 innings this season for San Diego. His FIP was 4.13 and his K/9 fell to just 7.7 this season, a big drop from his career average. King pitched only one inning in the postseason for San Diego last season, and his two playoff starts in 2024 were a mixed bag even though San Diego won both of those games. In Game 1 of the NL Wild Card round in 2024 King struck out 12 on the way to seven scoreless innings to beat Atlanta. His NLDS start was a 6-5 San Diego win vs. the Dodgers but King allowed five runs in five innings as his career postseason ERA is 3.00, adding two scoreless innings early in his career with the Yankees. King allowed five runs against the Dodgers in his final regular season start but he has a 2.74 home ERA and a 2.93 ERA since the All-Star Break. Other than the single inning last season in the playoffs, King hasn’t faced the Cubs since 2023 to provide some unfamiliarity to the top scoring offense in baseball.

Matthew Boyd – Chicago Cubs

The Padres finished only 20-21 vs. left-handed starters this season and Boyd sits with great postseason numbers, holding a 1.66 ERA in six starts and a brief relief appearance in his postseason career since 2022. Boyd started the Game 1 win vs. the Padres in the Wild Card round last season in Chicago but he had a disastrous start in Game 1 of the NLDS last season vs. the Brewers, though four of the six runs he allowed were unearned. He did bounce back in that series with a strong Game 4 start, and he had a solid 2026 season in 22 starts for the Cubs. His ERA closed at 3.91 for a higher figure than most playoff aces enter the postseason with, but he had a 2.86 road ERA and a 3.57 ERA since the All-Star Break. Boyd allowed eight runs in nine innings against San Diego this season but those starts were in April and June. Boyd isn’t likely to be a postseason hero for the Cubs, but he can provide a solid start to give Chicago’s offense an opportunity to win a key game in this series.