Given the recent success of wild card teams, there’s growing debate over whether the first-round bye helps or hurts teams. After Sunday’s regular-season finale, Phillies star shortstop Trea Turner made his stance on that discussion clear.
Since MLB revamped the wild card format in 2022 to include three wild card teams per league, those clubs have seen a surge in postseason success. Over the past three seasons, five wild card teams have advanced to at least the League Championship Series.
In 2024, the No. 6 seed New York Mets reached the NLCS. In 2023, the Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers—both wild card entries—faced off in the World Series. And back in 2022, the San Diego Padres and Phillies, also wild card teams, clashed in the NLCS.
This trend raises an important question: Is earning a first-round bye truly beneficial? While it provides top-seeded teams extra rest, recovery time, and more preparation before the Division Series, it may not always translate to on-field advantage.
Still, the team coming out of the wild card round may have momentum on their side, while the top-seeded team with a first-round bye risks losing its edge. In the postseason, it’s often about who’s playing the best at the right time—something that could put bye teams at a disadvantage.
When asked about this on Sunday, Trea Turner didn’t hold back.
“I’ll say it until I’m blue in the face — it’s just an excuse, one way or another. You have to show up and win,” Turner said. “Look at Houston — they’ve had the bye for years and still consistently make it to the Championship Series. You either get the job done or you don’t.”
Trea Turner wasn’t part of the Phillies’ 2022 squad that made a run from the wild card to the World Series. He joined the team in 2023 and was on the 2024 roster that was eliminated in the Division Series after earning a first-round bye.
Now, heading into the 2025 postseason, the Phillies’ star shortstop understands the weight every moment carries in October—and the high expectations in Philadelphia.
Turner isn’t buying into the debate over whether a first-round bye helps or hurts. His focus is simple: the Phillies need to take care of business.
Philadelphia opens its 2025 playoff campaign on Saturday, Oct. 4, against either the Los Angeles Dodgers or Cincinnati Reds.