MLB.com | Max Ralph: Last week, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Aaron Judge would miss the Wild Card Series, but the slugger had other plans. Judge himself is aiming to play against the Red Sox and is ramping up baseball activities, as he partook in indoor hitting and throwing on Sunday before participating in a live BP session against Elmer Rodríguez today. While the thought of Judge rushing his return and playing in a diminished state or re-aggravating his calf is scary, having his righty
bat against Boston’s collection of lefty pitchers would certainly be a boon — if he’s not as rusty as he looked in September.
FanGraphs | Jay Jaffe: The Yankees and Red Sox are meeting in the Wild Card Series for the second year in a row, but this year’s matchup looks a whole lot different than last year’s. While the 2025 editions of both clubs featured high-octane offenses, this year the bitter rivals each feature elite pitching in what looks to be a low-scoring affair. No matter what shape the games take, here’s hoping that the Yankees enjoy the same outcome as last year.
The Athletic | Brendan Kuty: ($) Cam Schlittler’s eight-inning, 12-strikeout, scoreless start against the Red Sox in Game 3 of last year’s Wild Card Series was one for the ages. It was also fueled by online hate directed towards Schlittler from Red Sox Nation prior to the game. Apparently, some members of the Boston faithful have still continued to chirp online. To his credit, Schlittler seems unfazed, saying, “At the end of the day, when I get prepared for whatever day I start, it’s not what I’m going to be thinking about.”
FanGraphs | Dan Szymborski: Finally, the 2026 ZiPS game-by-game postseason odds have gone live on FanGraphs! In contrast to the regular season-version, playoff ZiPS incorporates matchup-specific info – starters, lineups, players’ health status – to provide win-loss odds for each individual game. For what it’s worth, the model gives the Yankees a 52.6% chance of besting the Red Sox in the Wild Card Series, with favorable odds in both Game 1 and 2.
