On Sunday night, every MLB team wrapped up its 162nd game, officially closing the book on the 2025 regular season. For 18 teams, that meant the end of the road, while 12 others now turn their attention to October baseball. Among those advancing are the Boston Red Sox, who are set to clash with their longtime rivals, the New York Yankees, in the AL Wild Card series beginning Tuesday, September 31.
Under the current MLB playoff structure, division winners are locked into a top-three seed, even if their records fall short of the top Wild Card teams. That rule left the Red Sox and Yankees squaring off despite Boston’s strong performance.
Fortunately for Boston, their postseason berth was secured before the weekend, giving them the luxury to rest ace Garrett Crochet for Game 1. The left-hander, acquired from the Chicago White Sox in a blockbuster offseason trade, has officially been named the starter, according to the team’s announcement on X (formerly Twitter).
The opener will feature a marquee duel between two lefties: Crochet versus Yankees’ prized offseason addition, Max Fried. The matchup adds extra intrigue, as Fried rejected the Red Sox this past winter and instead signed an eight-year, $218 million contract with New York. Boston responded to the snub by swinging the trade for Crochet, betting big on his upside.
Now, as the Wild Card showdown looms, Crochet will be eager to validate that bold move and show Boston made the right call.
Red Sox look to start AL Wild Card series off strong vs. Yankees
The Yankees enter the postseason as a true juggernaut, boasting the league’s most dangerous offense after scoring an MLB-best 849 runs. That makes Boston’s task all the more daunting in this Wild Card showdown. Still, the Red Sox have reason for optimism — they went a perfect 4-0 in games started by Garrett Crochet against New York during the regular season. The lefty personally earned three of those victories, putting up a sharp 3.29 ERA with 39 strikeouts across 27.1 innings.
Crochet’s challenge now will be navigating a Yankees lineup stacked with dangerous right-handed bats, led by superstar Aaron Judge. But if his track record against New York is any indication, Boston’s ace has the stuff to give this upstart Red Sox team a fighting chance to steal Game 1 on the road.
