Cubs and Cardinals close the 2025 season with a symbolic, battle-for-mentorship series as both clubs lean into a transition. Probables tilt Cubs-ward with Colin Rea against Miles Mikolas, Taillon vs Liberatore, and McGreevy lining up Sunday, while Javier Assad could start or join a bullpen-heavy plan if home-field is secured. A two-win grab would vault Chicago into home-field for the Wild Card round against San Diego, setting up a brisk, evaluative finale before spring returns.

Fantasy angles loom large: the Cardinals feature nascent star Masyn Winn and veteran backbone Nolan Arenado, while the Cubs lean on Taillon, Rea, and a possible Assad appearance to bridge the rotation. The finale is less about titles and more about who earns a deeper look for 2026, and which veterans or rookies close out the year with momentum. See you next spring.

Milwaukee sits on the edge of another NL Central clinch as they open against St. Louis with a four-game magic number; Chad Patrick eyes a late-season surge to win a postseason convo as a potential fourth starter, while the lineup stays hot around Jake Bauers and Christian Yelich. Miles Mikolas toes the rubber for the Cardinals, hoping to quiet a Brewers offense that’s clicking at the plate. Milwaukee reshuffles bullpen and rotation chatter swirls around Bruce Zimmermann’s arrival and the fate of Robert Gasser, adding intrigue to a pivotal series opener.

The plug-and-play feel of the Brewers’ roster move mirrors a team preparing for depth-based postseason reality: Zimmermann’s minor-league stretch and Bauers’ current bat spike could shape late-season decisions. Meanwhile, Vaughn’s appearance in the lineup and Mikolas’ innings count frame a game where every inning and every hit matters for fantasy managers chasing playoff rotation clarity and daily fantasy upside.