These four things could make the difference in Cubs’ wild-card playoff series vs. Padres

SAN DIEGO — The playoffs have arrived.

The Cubs have been building to this all season long, eyeing a run deep into October.

‘‘This group is ready,’’ catcher Carson Kelly said Sunday. ‘‘It’s been a long year. We’ve had our ups and downs. But what this group does really well is we come prepared every single day.’’

To get to where they want to go, the Cubs first need to get past the Padres, their opponent in a best-of-three wild-card series.

Here’s what could make the difference:

Pete Crow-Armstrong

Crow-Armstrong has been the best player in baseball this season and soon will have an MVP award on his mantel to show for it.

But the individual accolades have meant little to Crow-Armstrong, given that he’s focused on team goals. The chase for the biggest of those — a World Series title — starts now.

It’s a team sport, and everyone will have to do their job for the Cubs to win. But if you’re going to talk about the impact one player can make, Crow-Armstrong can make more than just about anyone else in the playoffs.

‘‘We’re fortunate we get to see it in person every single day,’’ Kelly said. ‘‘There are a lot of times where we’ll look at each other and say, ‘Oh, my gosh, did that really just happen?’

‘‘Sometimes he gets up there, and you’re like, ‘OK, Pete’s going to hit a homer.’ He hits it, and you’re like, ‘What?’ Or running a ball down in the gap. Stealing a base, stealing second and third. You’re like, ‘This guy, he does it all.’ ’’

Alex Bregman

A week ago, the Cubs didn’t know what Bregman would be able to give them, if anything, in the postseason after taking a foul ball off his face.

But not only are they able to include Bregman in their playoff plans, they can count him as a
centerpiece.

A week removed from his freak injury, Bregman homered twice as part of a four-hit Sunday.

Bregman got back to being Bregman in a hurry, and that’s a big deal. The Cubs signed him to a five-year, $175 million free-agent deal in part to be a force in October, where he’s one of the most accomplished postseason hitters of all time.

And showing some Chicago toughness helps, too.

‘‘It fires you up,’’ Crow-Armstrong said Monday. ‘‘Knowing him and how wonderfully crazed he is about his work and how much he loves the game, it’s not really surprising. Not to put a damper on how cool it is, him coming back after eight facial fractures and whatnot, I’m just not that surprised. He lives for this kind of baseball.

‘‘Most important, I’m glad he’s healthy enough to do what he loves. But selfishly, I’m pumped that he’s going to be in our lineup for these important games. Simply put, Alex Bregman makes our lineup better, so it’s huge he’s getting himself game-ready.’’

The bullpen

It wasn’t long ago that the Cubs’ bullpen was in disarray.

But things have stabilized a bit, with manager Craig Counsell leaning on right-handers Ryan Zeferjahn (1.13 ERA in his last nine outings) and Daniel Palencia (eight scoreless appearances in a row) to great effect.

Palencia is looking more like the guy who dazzled last season, and Zeferjahn is looking more like the guy the Cubs thought they landed in a deadline deal.

‘‘He’s had some good outings lately,’’ Counsell said of Zeferjahn. ‘‘I feel great about him. He’s going to pitch. He’s going to be a major part of this at the end here.’’

The Cubs don’t necessarily have a designated closer, not that they see that as a problem, given Counsell’s ‘‘out-getters’’ mantra. But should any fans fret that is the team’s Achilles’ heel, maybe Zeferjahn can put their minds at ease.

‘‘There’s ups and downs, and I rode that ‘down’ for a little bit,’’ Zeferjahn said. ‘‘But I’ve been working my way back up. . . . Hopefully, I’m riding an all-time high here going into the playoffs.’’

The conditions

The Cubs led baseball in runs scored this season, but the bats didn’t look great last week, averaging just two runs a game.

But heading to San Diego could have its advantages.

Kelly compared trying to hit at Wrigley Field and Fenway Park last week — they scored nine total runs in five games at the cold, windy venues — “like you’re hitting into a fan.”

The Cubs moved indoors Sunday and scored six runs. That’s only one game, hardly an indicator of what’s to come. But not dealing with poor hitting conditions is one way to allow a capable Cubs lineup to flex its muscles.

The catch? They might have to get real muscly, as the Padres — quite used to hitting in nice weather — have been on a roll, with only one team in baseball (the Brewers) scoring more runs in September.