With 162 games in the books, the MLB playoff bracket is set. The Yankees closed strong but fell just short of securing an American League East title, as the Blue Jays took that honor by virtue of a tiebreaker
despite both teams ending the campaign at 94-68. That leaves the Yankees with the No. 4 seed, staring down a Wild Card Series with the archrival Red Sox, who finished their season at 89-73, good enough to earn their first playoff berth since 2021. The Yankees are in their eighth postseason in nine years, seeking to defend their 2024 AL pennant.
It’s sure to be a tense few days in the Bronx, as New York plays host to Boston in a best-of-three series that will determine who survives to see the ALDS. This is the most historic rivalry in baseball, and it will be the sixth time that they’ve squared off in postseason play (sadly not counting the iconic “Bucky Dent Game,“ the 1978 AL East tiebreaker).
The last time they went to head-to-head was also the last time Boston was in the postseason, as Nathan Eovaldi outdueled a hobbling Gerrit Cole at Fenway in what was then a one-game Wild Card playoff. That’s somehow already ancient history though, as the only players expected to be active for this series from that game are Yankees sluggers Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, as well as Red Sox reliever Garrett Whitlock.
The winner of this best-of-three will move on to play the Blue Jays in the best-of-five ALDS, beginning on Saturday in Toronto. The winner of that series will then face the Mariners, Guardians, or Tigers in the best-of-seven ALCS to see who advances to the World Series. Seattle beat out Houston (absent from October for the first time since 2016) with a 90-72 record and earned a first-round bye like the Jays, so they await the victor of the other Wild Card Series, an AL Central grudge match following the Tigers’ historic collapse and the Guardians’ ferocious comeback. Check out the full playoff bracket here.
Peter Brody is planning a much more extensive Wild Card Series preview for tomorrow morning. Below, you’ll find all the info needed to tune into the action.
Game 1: Tuesday, September 30, 2025
New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox
First pitch: 6:08 p.m. EST
TV/Streaming: ESPN
Radio: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280
Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Probable starters*: LHP Max Fried vs. LHP Garrett Crochet
Game 2: Wednesday, October 1, 2025
New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox
First pitch: 6:08 p.m. EST
TV/Streaming: ESPN
Radio: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280
Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Probable starters*: LHP Carlos Rodón vs. RHP Brayan Bello
Game 3: Thursday, October 2, 2025
New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox
First pitch: 6:08 p.m. EST**
TV/Streaming: ESPN
Radio: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280
Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Probable starters*: RHP Cam Schlittler vs. RHP Lucas Giolito
*Probables are our best guess at this point, though the Yankees aren’t guaranteed to start Schlittler in Game 3; Red Sox manager Alex Cora has said that Crochet and Bello will start the first two games, so that leaves Giolito as likely third option
**Wild Card Series Game 3 would be pushed back to 8:08 p.m. EST if the series between the Dodgers and Reds ends after two games
