The Athletic has live coverage of the MLB Wild Card Series.

It will be difficult for the National League Wild Card Series to compete with the excitement of the wild Atlanta Braves/New York Mets play-in tournament, also known as games 161 and 162. (Our condolences to the Arizona Diamondbacks. ) The matchups have been set, the teams hopefully aren’t at tired, and the postseason has officially begun.

The Mets head to Milwaukee to take on the Brewers, and the Braves get the courtesy of playing a well-rested – and according to our experts, quite scary – San Diego Padres team.

Our crew participates in the two NL Wild Card Series below:

GO DEEPER

Full MLB Playoff Bracket Set as Mets, Braves Enter: Which Teams Could Be Upset?

Note: Playoff placement in brackets.

New York Mets (6) vs. Milwaukee Brewers (3)

GO DEEPER

Preview of Brewers vs. Mets Wild Card Series: Predictions, Pitching Matchups and More

Andy McCullough (New York): The Mets seem to be possessed by some kind of cosmic force that can neither be explained nor controlled. (They also hit the ball over the fence quite a bit.)

Will Sammon (Milwaukee): I like the Mets here, and don’t hate their chances; it’s just hard to pick the team that’s essentially running on fumes. The Brewers are rested and have one of the best bullpens in baseball. Their athleticism and speed have overwhelmed the Mets in previous games.

Fabian Ardaya (New York): Grimace. Therefore they will win. On a serious note, the Brewers’ ability to navigate this season without much consistent pitching is commendable. It is more difficult to achieve this in October. The Mets survived Monday’s battle while keeping their top two arms, Luis Severino and Sean Manaea, fresh. Did they just release a series in Milwaukee? Yes, they did. But I’m going with a team that might still have some left after Monday’s early comeback win.

Grimace threw out the first pitch at Citi Field tonight 🍟

(via @SNY_Mets)pic.twitter.com/aTB2ziX5xc

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) June 13, 2024

C. Trent Rosecrans (Milwaukee): The Brewers have been overlooked all season. The lineup is long and the team doesn’t beat itself. I’m not sure I’ve personally seen a better team this year.

Eno Sarris (New York): OMG! The magic continues.

Andrew Baggarly (New York): The Mets won’t be a rested team when they arrive in America’s Dairyland. But they will arrive with all their competitive advantages honed. And often that is more important.

Jen McCaffrey (New York): It’s hard to bet against them after that Game 161 win.

Keith Law (Milwaukee): The Brewers were arguably one of the best run prevention teams in baseball the best if you consider who is healthy and available at the moment. The Mets’ lineup is also very right-handed and they will likely only face right-handed starters from Milwaukee.

Stephen J. Nesbitt (Milwaukee): No team can compete with the Mets on vibes right now. But I’m here to tell you that the Brewers are better than you think. The lineup isn’t particularly deep, but it does have speed – Brice Turang had 50 steals and four others had 20 this season – and decent power production from William Contreras, Willy Adames, Jackson Chourio and Rhys Hoskins. If they can get three runs per game, that could be enough. Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers are reliable at the top of the rotation, and the bullpen is one of the best in baseball, led by Trevor Megill, Jared Koenig and closer Devin Williams. The Mets played incredibly well in the second half. But I think the ride ends here.

Sam Blum (New York): Francisco Lindor doesn’t seem interested in letting his team lose. The Mets will also have their top three starters lined up in Milwaukee.

Chad Jennings (New York): For me, this is the biggest toss of the wildcard round. Neither team’s rotation is particularly inspiring, but the Mets got a lot out of Sean Manaea and David Peterson, and the Brewers can lean heavily on their excellent bullpen (especially in a three-game series). To me it’s really a matter of money, and in the longer term I would probably trust the Brewers a bit more. But the Mets found their way in the second half and they have the more dangerous lineup, so they’re my pick to keep things going a little longer.

Chandler Rome (New York): I like the song. There I said it.

Zack Meisel (Milwaukee): America, meet Jackson Chourio.

Kaitlyn McGrath (Milwaukee): The Mets’ most memorable moment this season might go down as Game 1 of Monday’s doubleheader, because I don’t see them pulling off the upset against the Brewers. Milwaukee has been steady from start to finish, despite a year where they could have been written off due to injuries. They have played well at home this season and I think this trend will continue in the Wild Card Series.

David O’Brien (Milwaukee): The Mets’ pitching is a bit shaky and the Brewers have a good vibe.

Sahadev Sharma (Milwaukee): Great bullpen, balanced offense that can do a lot. Starting pitching worries me.

Patrick Mooney (New York): This looks like a classic Brewers team that overachieves during the regular season and quickly leaves in October.

Katie Woo (Milwaukee): It’s hard to beat athleticism, and the Brewers are one of the most athletic teams in baseball.

Atlanta Braves (5) vs. San Diego Padres (4)

GO DEEPER

Padres vs. Braves Wild Card Series preview: predictions, pitching matchups and more

Andy McCullough (San Diego): Anything is possible, but the Braves appear to be at a significant disadvantage after 18 grueling innings on Monday. San Diego is perhaps the most complete team in the field.

Will Sammon (San Diego): How much do the Braves have left? The Padres built one of the best bullpens in the game. They also have the star power that often shows up in October. Sure, it’s an open year, but the Padres should be on the short list for the World Series favorite.

Fabian Ardaya (San Diego): There hasn’t been a better team in the sport since the All-Star break, and there may not be a team that seems more uniquely built for October. The setup makes contact. The starting throw is deep enough. The bullpen is electric. The stars have October experience.

C. Trent Rosecrans (San Diego): The Padres are the team no one wants to play against right now and Atlanta has been pushed to the brink.

Eno Sarris (San Diego): The Braves’ arms will be strained by how the end of the season went and the Padres likely have the best pitching staff in the postseason.

Andrew Baggarly (San Diego): The Padres have recalled players from the injured list. The Braves, not so much. And if Chris Sale isn’t available, it’s hard to imagine the Braves surviving a best-of-three on the road.

Jen McCaffrey (San Diego): The Braves barely made the postseason and the Padres have been on a mission for most of the season.

Keith Law (San Diego): Atlanta limped into the postseason with their two best players on the IL, then used their No. 3 and 4 starters in Monday’s doubleheader. The Padres are the stronger team anyway, but they come into this in much better shape than Atlanta.

Stephen J. Nesbitt (San Diego): The depleted Braves pitching staff will be without Chris Sale for the Wild Card Series. They still have some stompers and the mighty Max Fried, but man, I just don’t see it.

They have so few hands. The Friars are fully stocked, introducing Dylan Cease, Michael King and Joe Musgrove to the rotation and adding Yu Darvish to a three-closer bullpen in the back end. Even without Ha-Seong Kim, this Padres lineup will take away the rest of the Braves’ pitching staff until it bursts.

Sam Blum (San Diego): A doubleheader, a cross-country flight and Chris Sale’s injury will make this too much of a task for Atlanta.

Chad Jennings (San Diego): Their downfield defense isn’t ideal, but the Padres otherwise have one of the most complete teams in the postseason. Their lineup is deep, with power in the middle, and no National League pitching staff had a better second-half ERA. The Padres’ rotation has four legitimate starters, and even if one of them stumbles, the bullpen was strengthened at the trade deadline so it can go seven or eight arms deep if necessary. It took everything for the Braves to get to this point, but the Padres have more to give, and they will keep going.

Chandler Rome (San Diego): Since the All-Star break, the Padres have been playing like the most complete team in baseball. The Braves have their Cy Young leader behind them and should be exhausted after Monday. Atlanta’s struggles to score runs will be magnified by a Padres pitching staff that will be a force throughout October.

Zack Meisel (San Diego): After that doubleheader chaos, the Braves barely have time for a nap before the wild-card round, let alone a chance to regroup (or get their ace back).

Kaitlyn McGrath (San Diego): The Padres went 43-20 since the All-Star break and I don’t see their momentum slowing down just because the calendar turned to October. The Braves, meanwhile, had to scramble to win the second half of a doubleheader on Monday just to reach the postseason. The Padres have an advantage and I think they will take advantage of it.

David O’Brien (San Diego): Because they’re healthier than the Braves when Chris Sale is out, and will have a big, energetic crowd behind them.

Sahadev Sharma (San Diego): They are healthier and better. It doesn’t feel close right now.

Patrick Mooney (San Diego): Because they didn’t play a doubleheader on Monday.

Katie Woo (San Diego): Well, besides the fact that they’re not fresh off a doubleheader and cross-country trips… the Padres don’t scare easily. They found their identity in the second half. They have Manny Machado, National League Rookie of the Year frontrunner Jackson Merrill and (checks notes) Jurickson Profar. Manager Mike Shildt has extensive postseason experience. The Padres are fun to watch – and dangerously underrated.

Noah Furtado (San Diego): The Padres are well-rounded with top-10 team stats in a number of key categories and appear to be playing well at the right time. Not to mention they’re at home for the entire series against a Braves team that just played a doubleheader and likely won’t have NL Cy Young favorite Chris Sale available. So there’s that too.

(Photo of Fernando Tatis Jr.: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)