Baseball’s Iconic Rivalry Returns for 2026 Wild Card Series

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The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees prepare to meet in the 2026 MLB Wild Card Series. This best-of-three series marks the second straight year for their postseason clash. Broadcasts will be available on NBC, Peacock, and NBCSN. Dates are confirmed, while times remain to be announced.

Schedule and Broadcast

The series begins on Tuesday, September 29 at Yankee Stadium. Game 2 follows on Wednesday, September 30. A potential Game 3 is scheduled for Thursday, October 1.

Game 1: September 29, 8:00pm ET, NBC/Peacock/NBCSN
Game 2: September 30, 8:00pm ET, NBC/Peacock/NBCSN
Game 3 (if necessary): Date TBD, NBC/Peacock/NBCSN

Hall of Famer CC Sabathia and Ahmed Fareed will recap the Wild Card action on Peacock and NBC Sports YouTube.

Series Location

All games will take place at Yankee Stadium.

Probable Starting Pitchers

The regular season is drawing to a close, leaving starting pitchers yet to be officially announced. However, the Yankees may use Cam Schlittler and Max Fried for the first two games. Carlos Rodon and Gerrit Cole are possible starters for Game 3.

Red Sox manager Chad Tracy could rely on rookie Payton Tolle, veteran Sonny Gray, and Ranger Suarez.

Season Series Results

Throughout the season, the Yankees narrowly led the series (7-6), including a 4-2 record at home against Boston.

Playoff History Highlights

2025 AL Wild Card Series: Yankees beat Red Sox 2-1. Cam Schlittler impressed with eight scoreless innings, 12 strikeouts in Game 3.
2021 AL Wild Card Game: Red Sox won 6-2. Nathan Eovaldi had eight strikeouts over 5.1 innings.
2018 ALDS: Red Sox defeated Yankees 3-1, later winning the World Series.
2004 ALCS: Red Sox made history coming back from a 3-0 deficit to win four games in a row.
2003 ALCS: Yankees won the tight series (4-3) before losing to the Marlins.
1999 ALCS: Yankees won 4-1 and proceeded to sweep the Braves in the World Series.
1978 AL East Tiebreaker: Known as the ‘Bucky Dent game,’ Yankees won 5-4.

Players to Watch

Aaron Judge: Aaron Boone and signs of injury have hinted at absence, but Judge plans to play in the series, aiming for a quick recovery after a plasma injection.
Cam Schlittler: With a 1.95 ERA and 11.1 K/9, he may win the AL Cy Young. He will probably pitch Game 1 or 2 against the Red Sox.
Payton Tolle: The rookie left-hander had a 3.03 ERA and could be effective; based on past matchups against the Yankees, he might perform well.
Aroldis Chapman: As a top closer (1.92 ERA), he returns to the Bronx. Supported by Garrett Whitlock, they form a formidable late-inning duo.

MLB Wild Card Series Format

Wild Card Series consist of best-of-three matchups, with higher seeds holding home-field advantage throughout. The series runs from September 29 to October 1, with Game 3s, if needed, on October 1.