Red Sox vs Yankees AL Wild Card Series preview: Everything you need to know
· Yahoo Sports
Starting Tuesday night, the Boston Red Sox will be at Yankee Stadium to play the New York Yankees in a best-of-three postseason series.
In a similar situation to last season, a Red Sox team with a win total in the high 80s will travel to a Yankees team with a win total in the low to mid 90s. Instead of falling short in the American League East to the Toronto Blue Jays this season, the Yankees could not catch the elusive Tampa Bay Rays.
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This will be the sixth time in the 21st century (out of 27 seasons) that Boston and New York will meet in the postseason. The former has won three of the five so far, though the latter took last year’s contest two games to one.
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Head to head
After 2025 saw the Red Sox take the season series 9-4 the Yankees rallied back in 2026 to take it 7-6. Both have swept the other in a series this season, but the most recent meeting in late August saw the Yankees win three games to one in New York.
There is no doubt that the Red Sox are coming into this series as the colder team of late. They went 12-12 in September while posting a league-worst .651 OPS. As for the Yankees, they went 15-8 and posted a league-average .726 OPS.
Both teams have their share of injuries heading into Tuesday, but the Red Sox are likely worse off. Notable hitters such as outfielders Ceddanne Rafaela and Masataka Yoshida are not at full health, as well as slugging first baseman Willson Contreras and utility Mickey Gasper.
The Yankees are missing superstar outfielder Aaron Judge, and the health of slugger Giancarlo Stanton and outfielder Trent Grisham are in question. It remains to be seen who will be on the Wild Card roster and is worth noting that both teams are fairly healthy pitching-wise.
The clubs announced their pitching plans Monday. For Boston it will be as follows for games 1-3: LHP Payton Tolle (9-6, 3.03 ERA), RHP Sonny Gray (18-5, 2.72), LHP Ranger Suarez (8-5, 3.22).
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For New York they will have RHP Cam Schlittler (14-6, 1.95), LHP Max Fried (8-5, 2.80), RHP Gerrit Cole (10-9, 3.61). The teams both have a case for the best 1-2-3 in MLB, so it should be a fantastic pitcher’s duel throughout the series.
The bullpens are quite evenly matched as well, though it could be argued that the Red Sox have a deeper unit. To balance that out, this Yankees offense has been much better lately as mentioned above.
Players to watch
Aug 29, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Ben Rice (22) reacts after hitting a deep fly ball for an out during the seventh inning against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)For New York, the player to watch will be first baseman/designated hitter Ben Rice. He struggled initially after Judge went down in June, but has had a red-hot September with a .333/.450/.605 slash line and six home runs.
The 27-year-old has turned in a marvelous junior season in MLB, and crushed a line drive homer in last season’s Game 2 that put the Yankees ahead.
Sep 16, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Boston Red Sox right fielder Wilyer Abreu (52) runs the bases during the game between the Rangers and the Red Sox at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)For Boston, the player to watch is outfielder Wilyer Abreu. Contrary to Rice, he has been ice cold this September (.207/.286/.329). However, he remains the club’s third or fourth hitter in the order and thus will be asked to deliver in big spots.
The Red Sox’s offense seems to go as he goes judging by their numbers in September. If he is seeing the ball well this series, odds are the rest of the team is too.
Prediction
In a stacked starting pitching matchup, the pick is the Yankees to advance in three. Home field is a huge deal in this rivalry, and Yankee Stadium reliably has one of the best postseason atmospheres in the sport. If there is a game to catch, it would be Game 1. Tolle-Schlittler might be the best pitcher’s duel for the whole postseason.
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