Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees Wild Card Preview

Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images

September 29, 2026

MonFor the second consecutive season, the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees will do battle in the Bronx in a three-game American League Wild Card set. Last year, the Yankees won in three games, becoming the first team in league history to win a Wild Card series after losing the first game. Both sides look noticeably different this time around, but the most heated rivalry in baseball is sure to deliver more fireworks.

Logistics

Time: 8 pm Eastern (all games)

Location: Yankee Stadium

Channel: NBC/Peacock

Umpires: Nate Tomlinson, Scott Barry, John Libka, Mark Wegner, John Tumpane, Emil Jimenez

Yankees 2026 Season

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To say the Yankees were ravaged by injuries in 2026 would be an understatement. Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Trent Grisham, and Cody Bellinger missed a combined 305 games, while Cam Schlittler and Will Warren were the only two starters to make more than 25 starts. However, the team battled all season long, relying heavily on young players like Ben Rice, Spencer Jones, George Lombard Jr., and Schlittler.

Time is ticking in the Bronx, with Judge being 34 and Stanton and Gerrit Cole being 36. However, the American League is considerably weaker than normal, meaning the Yankees have arguably their best chance to win it all since 2009. Their starting rotation and bullpen, which led baseball with a 3.24 ERA, always give them a chance. The major question mark is on offense, as while the Yankees averaged 5.1 runs with Judge, they averaged 4.2 runs without him.

Red Sox 2026 Season

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Few storylines defined the 2026 major league season more than the Red Sox’s miraculous turnaround. On June 24, the team sat 14 games below .500. Six weeks later, they found themselves 13 games above .500. Even without Garrett Crochet, Roman Anthony, and Trevor Story, the Red Sox caught fire midseason to clinch a playoff berth for the second consecutive season.

Like their rivals, fans in Beantown are growing restless. Since winning the World Series in 2018, the Red Sox have made one ALCS appearance, missing the playoffs in five of eight seasons. Of course, the AL is wide open, meaning the Red Sox’s chances are as good as any.

2026 Meetings

Apr. 21-23 (Three-game series): Yankees won 3–0

June 5-7 (Two-game series): Teams split 1–1

June 25-28 (Four-game series): Red Sox won 4–0

Aug. 28-30 (Four-game series): Yankees won 3–1

Past Postseason Meetings

1999 ALCS: Yankees won 4–1

2003 ALCS: Yankees won 4–3

2004 ALCS: Red Sox won 4–3

2018 ALDS: Red Sox won 3–1

2021 Wild Card: Red Sox won 1–0

2025 Wild Card: Yankees won 2–1

Post-Trade Deadline

Yankees: 30–19

Red Sox: 27–24

Offensive Leaders

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Yankees

AVG: Cody Bellinger, .264

HR: Ben Rice, 41

RBI: Ben Rice, 97

BB: Ben Rice, 85

OPS: Ben Rice, .897

Red Sox

AVG: Ceddanne Rafaela, .283

HR: Willson Contreras, 27

RBI: Willson Contreras, 81

BB: Wilyer Abreu, 71

OPS: Willson Contreras, .901

Starting Rotations

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Yankees

Tuesday: RHP Cam Schlittler, 14–6, 193 2/3 IP, 1.95 ERA, 0.919 WHIP

Wednesday: LHP Max Fried, 5–5, 112 2/3 IP, 2.80 ERA, 0.994 WHIP

Thursday (if necessary): RHP Gerrit Cole, 10–9, 127 IP, 3.61 ERA, 1.102 WHIP

Red Sox

Tuesday: LHP Payton Tolle, 9–6, 148 2/3 IP, 3.03 ERA, 1.096 WHIP

Wednesday: RHP Sonny Gray, 18–5, 169 IP, 2.72 ERA, 1.148 WHIP

Thursday (if necessary): LHP Ranger Suarez, 8–5, 148 1/3, 3.22 ERA, 1.19 WHIP

Storylines to Monitor

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Ice Cold Offense

The best postseason teams often get hot in September, but the Red Sox will look to change that narrative. No team scored fewer runs during the final month than the Red Sox, as their 71 runs were 18 fewer than the next closest team. Their .219 batting average and .651 OPS were also the worst, although the team went 12-12 in September. The Yankees led the league in ERA during the regular season at 3.24, so the Red Sox have their work cut out for them.

Southpaw Swing-and-Miss

The Yankees struck out 477 times against left-handed pitchers in the regular season, the fourth-highest total in the sport. That doesn’t bode well for them, as the Red Sox plan to start lefties in both Game One and Game Three. This means right-handed hitters Heliot Ramos and Paul Goldschmidt will need to capitalize for the Yankees, especially with Judge’s health in question.

Battle of the Bullpens

The Yankees and Red Sox both had top-ten bullpens in the regular season, but the two relief corps will only get better come Tuesday. With starting rotations slimming down, Warren and Ryan Weathers are set to become viable bullpen options for the Yankees. Meanwhile, the Red Sox are likely to have both Crochet and Tanner Houck healthy in the bullpen.