Saturday can't come soon enough for Philadelphia Phillies fans everywhere, as the NLDS is set to kick off on Oct. 4. Start times haven't been officially announced just yet, but at least some news of first pitch has come out for Phillies fans to chew on as the wait continues. The anticipation only grows the closer we get to the return of Red October, with the roster also coming into focus (subscription required).
According to MLB.com's Paul Casella, there's one deciding factor that will go into the start time of the NLDS that will impact the Phillies. Phillies fans will have to sit and watch the rest of the Wild Card matchup of Red Sox vs. Yankees to know when Game 1 of the NLDS will begin on Saturday. According to Casella, the Phillies with play at 6:38 p.m. ET if the Yankees advance and 6:08 p.m. ET if the Red Sox advance.
Game time announced for Game 1 of the NLDS:
— Paul Casella (@Paul_CasellaMLB) October 1, 2025
- IF YANKEES ADVANCE: Phillies will play at 6:38 p.m. on Saturday.
- IF RED SOX ADVANCE: Phillies will play at 6:08 p.m. on Saturday.
MLB narrows down NLDS Game 1 start time for Phillies’ potential showdown with Dodgers
The Red Sox took Game 1 on Tuesday after a dramatic night in the Bronx and leave the Yankees already on the brink of elimination. Boston could win and move on or go to a Game 3 on Thursday. Either way, the Phillies will get the main stage for a dramatic first taste of Red October. Phillies fans can't wait either, with the sellout of the intra-squad game on Wednesday.
The Phillies will seemingly get the prime-time slot for their first round of playoff action and look to officially kick off Red October in grand fashion. They play the winner of the Wild Card series between the No. 6 seed Cincinnati Reds and No. 3 seed Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers took Game 1 handily 10-5 as they slugged their way through the Reds’ pitching staff. The Dodgers were the favorites going into the matchup and a massive threat to the Phillies in a potential best-of-five series.
Phillies fans are counting down the days until start time. It would have been nice any time on Saturday for first pitch to take place, but MLB knows what they're set up for with a potential Phillies-Dodgers NLDS. All eyes will be on them anyway, but the prime time slot only seems fitting. The Phillies have been categorized by many as the favorite to win the World Series, so baseball fans will be paying close attention come Saturday.