The San Diego Padres have announced their Game 1 starting pitcher against the Chicago Cubs, and Alex Bregman may end up being the x-factor to begin the Wild Card round for the Cubs. Right-handed pitcher Michael King will take the ball for the Padres to begin the series at Petco Park on Tuesday night.
The Cubs have little experience against King, with 33 career at-bats against the 31-year-old pitcher; however, Bregman has crushed him. Bregman is 7-for-8 with a pair of doubles and two walks in his career facing King. Michael Conforto is the only other player with any significant number of at-bats against King, going 1-for-11 with three walks.
Bregman was back in the Cubs’ lineup this past weekend against the Boston Red Sox, and in Sunday’s regular-season finale at Tropicana Field, the third baseman looked better than ever. He went 4-for-4 with two home runs and a double. You wouldn’t know that a week ago he suffered multiple facial fractures after a foul ball smashed the left side of his face, but Bregman has 100% earned the respect of the fan base coming back from that.
King has been great in 2026, finishing with a 3.21 ERA over 185 innings. The righty started 31 games, and since July, King has posted a 2.84 ERA in 15 games. He hasn’t been the big strikeout pitcher that he has been in the past, recording a 21.0% K rate this year, while his walk rate finished at 9.2%. In the 2025 Wild Card Series at Wrigley Field, King pitched one inning of relief in Game 3.
🔥 Subscribe to the Untold Chicago YouTube channel to hear Chicago legends tell stories you’ve never seen in headlines — real moments, real experiences, straight from the athletes themselves.
By now, fans pretty much know how the Cubs will line up against the Padres. The only question mark heading into Tuesday is whether or not the team feels comfortable playing Bregman at third base; he was the designated hitter in his last two games against the Red Sox. Still, Bregman will be batting second, and you have to imagine there will be a few key spots in Game 1 that Bregman will come up with a chance to deliver a big hit against the Padres.
It’s the postseason, so that usually means a quicker hook for the starting pitchers. Bregman’s big chance to knock King out of the game could come early, and the Cubs most likely need to jump on the Padres early to have a shot at winning this series, as San Diego features one of the best bullpens in MLB.
Bregman has now reached the postseason for 10 consecutive years. He’ll bring 102 playoff games of experience and a career .791 OPS in the postseason. He’s also been one of the best hitters in MLB since the All-Star break, ranking first with a 176 wRC+, slashing .303/.384/.626 with 19 home runs in his last 61 games. That stretch includes a .367 batting average with runners in scoring position since July 17.
The Cubs have to get off to a fast start against King, and Bregman could become the x-factor right off the bat, setting the tone in Game 1 of the series.
