Another October begins with baseball’s greatest rivalry clashing in the Bronx, as the Yankees host the Boston Red Sox for a second straight year in the best-of-three American League Wild Card Series, beginning on Tuesday night.
Taking advantage of a significantly subpar American League, the Yankees managed to tread water without Aaron Judge for more than half of the season, finishing second in the East behind the Tampa Bay Rays. Behind them in third were the Red Sox, who fired their manager, Alex Cora, in April following a miserable start, then caught fire in the summer behind a historic 15-game winning streak to grasp onto the No. 2 Wild Card spot and never let go.
The Yankees will hope that history repeats itself in 2026 and that they can find a way to get past their bitter rivals at home, but there are a remarkable number of huge questions looming over this series for both teams that can turn the tide before a single pitch is even thrown.
Let’s take a look.
Will the Judge preside over his court?
The Yankees’ captain and two-time-defending American League MVP missed three months earlier this summer due to a fractured rib, then lasted just seven days before suffering a “moderate” calf strain, as described by manager Aaron Boone.
All signs point to Judge not being a part of New York’s Wild Card roster, which in part was fueled by Boone last week when he said that the team was not planning on the 34-year-old slugger being available. But Judge pushed back on that, saying, “I’m doing everything I can every single day I show up here to get back and be ready to go.”
Boone disclosed on Sunday that Judge has been doing plyometrics and treadmill work, but other than that, “not a whole lot yet.” That certainly does not bode well for his availability, as he would likely be significantly compromised even if he was available.
Who starts Game 1?
In a short, best-of-three series, it’s usually a no-brainer to go with your ace in an attempt to do everything possible to get the quickest advantage possible. That, in turn, would mean Cam Schlittler, who posted one of the greatest single-season stat lines ever by a Yankees pitcher (1.95 ERA, 239 strikeouts), would get the ball for Game 1 on Tuesday, right?
Not so fast, says Boone.
The Yankees’ skipper is considering starting southpaw Max Fried for Game 1, meaning Schlittler would start Game 2 to either clinch or keep his team’s season alive.
In fairness, Fried has been great since returning from the IL in late July. Over his last 10 starts, he has a 2.29 ERA with 54 strikeouts in 51 innings. He has also allowed just one earned run in 11.2 innings against the Red Sox this season.
Schlittler has had mixed results against Boston this year, but most recently went 5.2 shutout frames on Aug. 28 despite walking five. Still, it was his heroics in Game 3 of the Wild Card Series last year that put the young righty on the map, going eight scoreless innings and striking out 12 in what was a 4-0 win.
Carlos Rodon, who has been red-hot to end the season, to the tune of a 1.89 ERA over the last five weeks, should get the ball for a potential Game 3, meaning the struggling Gerrit Cole might not be in the Yankees’ equation until a possible ALDS matchup with the Rays.
Will the Sox be without their biggest bat?
Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras’ career-best season was cut short on Sept. 17 when he was hit on the right hand by a pitch. Not only has he not appeared in a game since, but he recently experienced a setback while taking swings, then divulged that he still cannot grip a bat.
“It’s really concerning,” Contreras told reporters on Thursday. “But at the same time, I’m putting all my effort, and everything I can do, I’m doing it. I don’t know what else to say. I’m working hard with the trainers; the hand is slowly getting better, but I haven’t been able to swing the last two days. I’ll be honest with the team. I know Tuesday is a really important game. It’s a really important series, and I’ll be completely honest with the team.”
The Red Sox are already going to be without Mickey Gasper, who suffered what Red Sox manager Chad Tracy described as a “significant biceps injury” on Friday. The 30-year-old first baseman/catcher/DH had been red-hot as of late, coming out of nowhere to hit 10 home runs with a 1.082 OPS over his last 33 games before the injury. He would have been the obvious Wild Card replacement for Contreras, who owned a .905 OPS with 27 home runs and 81 RBI in 129 games this season.
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