Take this weekend to get ready, because I would be SHOCKED if the American League playoffs don’t open on Sep. 29 with the Red Sox and Yankees matched up in the Wild Card series.
Boston and New York square off for the final time this (regular) season this weekend at Yankee Stadium in a pivotal four-game set. Pending Thursday’s result in the series finale against the Astros, the teams are separated by just 2 1/2 games for the top wild card spot and the right to host that first round.
Home-field advantage
paid off big time for the Yankees in this meeting a year ago, when they became just the third team in this playoff format to win the Wild Card series after dropping Game 1. Given the intensity that would fill Fenway Park both from the energy of this season’s run and the overall absence of a playoff game there in five years, the Red Sox would benefit more than just the obvious by hosting this time around.
While four games in The Bronx won’t completely clinch fate for either team with 30ish games to go afterwards, the momentum and likelihood of the higher seed has a real chance to be virtually decided in this set. Cam Schlittler is the best arm going on either side this weekend, but both teams will miss having their better arms throw this weekend with Sonny Gray and Payton Tolle for the Red Sox along with Gerrit Cole and Max Fried for the Yankees.
Both teams still have plenty of room to get healthy. Boston waits for the returns of Roman Anthony and Garrett Crochet while the fate of New York’s seasons rests in the ability of Aaron Judge to get back on the field before October. With that in mind, this weekend won’t be a full postseason preview, though the teams should get a good feel for matchups and the environment.
The supposed collision course would join the clubs in a playoff meeting for the fourth time in eight years and seventh in twenty-seven years. What served as only a dream for most of the 20th century now is a semi-regular occurrence in pockets of the first quarter of the 21st century. Just like how the teams famously split the thrilling ALCS meetings in 2003 and 2004, could the Red Sox swing back in a rematch?
The Red Sox head to The Bronx this weekend with a 5-4 advantage in the season series, heavily fueled by the then-shocking four-game sweep of New York at Fenway Park in late June. That’s a great landmark to point back to as to the turning of the tides in the season turnaround that nobody saw coming. The season series will be decided this weekend before a month-long wait to see who truly gets the last laugh in 2026, especially given that each side has eliminated the other three times apiece in prior playoff meetings.
These four games should be exciting, somewhat telling and standings-wise consequential. Regardless of how it goes for either side, treat it like a movie trailer and let your anticipation build for the four weeks after.
Red Sox. Yankees. Playoff baseball. It’s coming again.
