The Chicago Cubs are set to take on the San Diego Padres in an NL Wild Card series this week, as the MLB playoffs are officially in full swing on Tuesday, September 29.
Before the Cubs-Padres kick off their series on Tuesday evening, Chicago revealed its game one lineup.
Remember, the NL Wild Card is a three-game series, and all games will be played in San Diego, as the Padres captured the top Wild Card spot.
Anyway, as part of the Cubs’ lineup drop, there is a very interesting Seiya Suzuki decision.
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Seiya Suzuki Batting Cleanup on Tuesday Vs. Padres
It’s been somewhat rare that Seiya Suzuki has been the Cubs cleanup hitter this season, as he usually hits right behind Pete Crow-Armstrong on a daily basis.
However, manager Craig Counsell has decided to switch things up to open the team’s Wild Card series with the Padres.
Per @UnderdogMLB, here is the Cubs full batting order for 9/29:
Cubs 9/29: “P. Crow-Armstrong CF A. Bregman DH M. Busch 1B S. Suzuki RF I. Happ LF N. Hoerner 2B P. Ramírez 3B C. Kelly C D. Swanson SS M. Boyd SP”
P. Crow-Armstrong CF A. Bregman DH M. Busch 1B S. Suzuki RF I. Happ LF N. Hoerner 2B P. Ramírez 3B C. Kelly C D. Swanson SS
M. Boyd SP
San Diego is rolling with Michael King (12–10, 3.21 ERA, 159 SO) as their starter in the game one matchup, while the Cubs have opted to roll with Matthew Boyd (10–5, 3.91 ERA, 96 SO).
Back to the Seiya Suzuki decision, Seiya has been one of the Cubs’ best hitters this season in terms of driving in runs, so perhaps that’s why he’s the cleanup hitter for this pivotal game one.
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Seiya Suzuki Had Another Strong Offensive Campaign in 2026
Seiya Suzuki could be playing his final games with the Chicago Cubs, as he is set to hit free agency after the season concludes.
Over 143 games played this season, Suzuki batted .270 with 26 home runs, 31 doubles, and 86 RBI.
His OPS+ was 131 over 545 at-bats in 2026, and the MLB playoffs will be his last chance to show the Cubs that he is extremely valuable and that they can’t afford to let him depart via free agency.
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Chicago Cubs Announce Interesting Seiya Suzuki Decision Before MLB Playoffs