The oldest rivalry in American sport now has a wild card chapter. Boston and New York have met three times in the round, once in the single-game format and twice as a best-of-three. The 2026 meeting was their seventh official postseason series overall.
The three meetings
| Year | Format | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | AL Wild Card Game | Fenway Park | Boston Red Sox 6, New York Yankees 2 |
| 2025 | AL Wild Card Series | Yankee Stadium | Yankees won the series 2–1 |
| 2026 | AL Wild Card Series | Yankee Stadium | Yankees won the series 2–0 |
Boston’s win came in the one game played at Fenway; both series at Yankee Stadium have gone to New York.
2021: one game at Fenway
As the higher seed, Boston hosted the winner-take-all AL Wild Card Game and won 6–2, sending the Red Sox to the Division Series. It remains the only wild card meeting between the clubs played as a single game, and the only one played at Fenway Park.
2025: a three-game series
Boston returned as the No. 5 seed and New York hosted as the No. 4. The Red Sox won one game and lost two, with the Yankees taking the series 2–1 — the first time the rivals had met in a best-of-three.
2026: a sweep
The rematch arrived immediately. New York (93–68) hosted Boston (87–75) in the 8 p.m. ET window on Tuesday, September 29 and Wednesday, September 30.
| Date | Game | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 29 | Game 1 | Yankees 9, Red Sox 0 |
| Sep 30 | Game 2 | Yankees 9, Red Sox 2 |
Game 1 was the highest-scoring shutout in wild card history. In Game 2 Boston led off the sixth trailing by a run, then conceded six in the bottom half. The two-game aggregate of 18–2 is the largest run differential ever recorded over a two-game postseason span.
Boston’s season had itself been unusual: the Red Sox were the first team to reach the postseason after sitting 14 or more games out of a playoff spot as late as June 24 since the 1914 Boston Braves. New York advanced to face the Tampa Bay Rays in the Division Series.
Where the rivalry stands in the round
| Club | Wild card round appearances | Record in the round |
|---|---|---|
| New York Yankees | 7 | 5–2 |
| Boston Red Sox | 3 | 1–2 |
More on each side: Yankees wild card history and the AL wild card round.
Sources: Wikipedia, “Wild Card Series” and “2026 American League Wild Card Series”; MLB.com, “How to watch the 2026 Wild Card Series on NBC and Peacock”.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How many times have the Red Sox and Yankees met in the wild card round?
Three times: the 2021 AL Wild Card Game at Fenway Park and the 2025 and 2026 Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium.
Who won the 2026 Red Sox-Yankees wild card series?
The Yankees, 2–0, by scores of 9–0 and 9–2.
How many postseason series have the two clubs played?
The 2026 Wild Card Series was their seventh official postseason meeting.