Emotions can run high any time the Yankees and Red Sox get together. But a postseason matchup with a trip to the American League Division Series on the line? That’s pure theater.
Boston won nine of the 13 meetings between the rivals this season, but New York has won three of the last four, including two of three at Fenway Park from Sept. 12-14. This marks the sixth time in history that the Yankees and Red Sox have met in the postseason, the first coming in 1999 and the last in 2021, when Boston won a one-game Wild Card matchup on its home turf.
This best-of-three series will take place in the Bronx, where the fans are sure to be amped up as the Yankees take aim at a second straight AL pennant and their first World Series title since 2009. Get your popcorn ready.
Here’s how the Yankees and Red Sox match up position-by-position:
Austin Wells will start Game 1 to catch Max Fried, though Ben Rice could see time behind the plate in the series, as well. Rice’s defensive metrics are not strong, but his bat more than makes up for it, as he hit 26 home runs with an .836 OPS while ranking between the 88th and 98th percentile in nine different Statcast categories this season. Wells slugged 21 homers of his own with a .711 OPS and is an elite framer, and while he struggled offensively in his first postseason a year ago, he should get the nod against Boston’s right-handed starters.
After being traded from the Yankees to the Red Sox last December, Carlos Narvaez had a strong first half, posting a .786 OPS with eight homers and 31 RBI in 73 games. His offense declined in the second half (.620 OPS in 45 games), but Narváez is an elite defender, ranking in the top 12 percent of the league in three key Statcast categories: blocks above average, caught stealing above average and framing.
When Rice isn’t behind the plate, he will likely share first-base duties with Paul Goldschmidt, who posted a .981 OPS against left-handers this season and a .618 OPS against righties. Goldschmidt has a wealth of playoff experience, putting up a .909 OPS with eight home runs in 23 games over six Octobers with the Cardinals and D-backs, though the 38-year-old struggled at the plate over the final month (.502 OPS in 24 games since Aug. 26).
Nathaniel Lowe was released by the Nationals on Aug. 16, signing with the Red Sox two days later. The move proved to be fruitful for the 30-year-old, whose bat was rejuvenated following his arrival in Boston; Lowe had a .790 OPS in 34 games with the Red Sox, a 135-point improvement from his first 119 with Washington. Lowe’s defense ranks near the bottom of the league (-5 outs above average), though neither Yankees first baseman is particularly strong with the glove, either.
New York has been a solid fit for Jazz Chisholm Jr., who put up the first 30-30 season of his career in 2025 while posting an .813 OPS in 130 games. Chisholm ranked in the 89th percentile at his position in outs above average (+5), settling in nicely after making a full-time return to second base. In 17 career games over three postseasons, Chisholm owns a meager .167 average (11-for-66) and a .524 OPS, but he hit .317 with four homers and a .965 OPS in 12 games this year against the Red Sox.
Romy Gonzalez had a breakout year in his age-28 season, reaching career highs in home runs (9), RBI (53), average (.305) and OPS (.826) in 96 games. He can play first, second and third base, and while he played more games at first this season, he has settled in as Boston’s everyday option at second. Gonzalez had an .856 OPS in 11 games against the Yankees this season.
Anthony Volpe’s season felt markedly worse than his first two years in the Majors, yet his numbers were in line with each of his first two campaigns, as he hit .212 with 19 home runs and a .663 OPS in 153 games. The 24-year-old was repeatedly hounded by the hometown fans, especially for his defense, which took a major step backwards (his -6 outs above average ranked in the 8th percentile). If there’s good news for Volpe, it’s that he’s shown he’s not afraid of the spotlight, posting an .815 OPS in 14 games last October.
Trevor Story had his best year since joining the Red Sox in 2022, hitting 25 home runs with a .741 OPS and 3.8 bWAR in 157 games, including an .847 OPS in 13 games against the Yankees. Story’s defense is suspect, as his -10 outs above average was the third-lowest mark in the AL this season. In two career postseasons, Story is 7-for-22 (.318) with an .863 OPS, but he hasn’t played into October since making back-to-back playoff appearances with the Rockies in 2017-18.
Ryan McMahon’s numbers took a hit after he was traded to the Yankees, as he hit .208 with four home runs and a .641 OPS in 54 games for New York after going deep 16 times with a .717 OPS in 100 games with the Rockies. A deeper dive into his numbers shows some promising signs, namely his ranking in average exit velocity (95th percentile), hard-hit percentage (90th) and walk percentage (87th). He also owns an elite glove at the hot corner, ranking in the 91st percentile with +6 outs above average.
Injuries limited Alex Bregman to only 114 games this season, but he made his third All-Star team while hitting 18 home runs with an .822 OPS. Bregman remains an elite contact hitter who doesn’t strike out much, evidenced by his strong ranking in chase percentage (95th percentile), whiff percentage (92nd) and strikeout percentage (89th). Bregman, whose +4 outs above average placed him in the top 15 percent of the league, has a strong postseason history, playing into October in each of his first eight years in the Majors, winning World Series rings with the Astros in 2017 and 2022 while hitting 19 home runs with a .789 OPS in 99 career postseason games.
Cody Bellinger was very productive in his first season with the Yankees, slugging 29 home runs with 98 RBIs, an .814 OPS and 5.0 bWAR in 152 games while playing excellent defense (+6 outs above average). Bellinger appeared in the playoffs in each of his first six seasons and won a ring with the Dodgers in 2020, but he hasn’t played into October since 2022. In 69 career postseason games, Bellinger has nine homers and 33 RBIs, though his .661 OPS is more than 150 points below his regular-season mark.
Jarren Duran was unable to follow up his breakout 2024 season with a similar campaign, but the 29-year-old did hit 16 home runs with 84 RBIs, 24 stolen bases and a league-high 13 triples, showing he can still do damage in a variety of ways. Duran has a strong arm in left field, though his range (-2 outs above average) leaves something to be desired. This will be the first postseason of Duran’s five-year career.
Trent Grisham played a part-time role in his first season with the Yankees in 2024, but he busted out with a career year in 2025, belting 34 home runs with an .812 OPS in 143 games. Grisham commands the strike zone as well as anybody, ranking in the 99th percentile in chase percentage and the 96th in walk percentage. The 28-year-old has been to the postseason three times, the last coming in 2022 with San Diego, when he hit three homers in 12 games.
Ceddanne Rafaela showed some improvement at the plate in his sophomore season, decreasing his strikeout numbers while boosting his walks. But he was a below-average hitter overall (95 OPS+) and posted another sub-.300 on-base percentage. What Rafaela lacks in offense, he more than makes up for in the field, where his +22 outs above average led all Major League center fielders.
What more can we say about Aaron Judge? The reigning AL Most Valuable Player might earn his third MVP Award in four seasons after putting up one of the best all-around years we’ve ever seen. Judge hit 53 home runs with 114 RBIs, leading the AL in bWAR (9.7), runs scored (137), walks (124), batting average (.331), on-base percentage (.457), slugging percentage (.688), OPS+ (215) and total bases (372). Judge was also a plus for the Yankees defensively in right field, though his elbow injury has forced him to be conservative in terms of throwing.
Rob Refsnyder should get the call against the Yankees’ two lefty starters, as he posted an impressive .959 OPS against southpaws this season. Refsnyder’s only postseason experience consists of three at-bats for the Yankees in the 2015 AL Wild Card Game, so he’ll finally have another crack at October. Wilyer Abreu is a much stronger defender, so he could find himself in games if the Red Sox are trying to protect a lead or if a right-hander is on the mound.
When you consider that Giancarlo Stanton didn’t make his 2025 debut until June 16 and played in only 77 games, his stat line — 24 home runs, 66 RBIs and a .944 OPS — is even more impressive. The 35-year-old will be playing in his seventh postseason with the Yankees, and as good as Stanton has been during the regular season, his playoff numbers — 18 homers, 40 RBIs and a .993 OPS in 41 games — are even better.
Like Stanton, Masataka Yoshida’s season didn’t start on time, as he debuted on July 9. Yoshida hit four home runs with 26 RBIs and a .695 OPS in 55 games, though he’s been heating up in September, posting a .333/.351/.486 slash line in 20 games to finish his season, striking out only five times in 77 plate appearances.
Max Fried certainly lived up to his massive contract during his first season with the Yankees, going 19-5 with a 2.86 ERA. Fried is no stranger to the postseason, having pitched for the Braves in seven straight Octobers from 2018-24 while winning a World Series ring in 2021. Carlos Rodón, who went 18-9 with a 3.09 ERA in his third season with the Yankees, is set for Game 2 as he tries to improve upon his mediocre performance last October. Rookie Cam Schlittler, who went 4-3 with a 2.96 ERA in his first 14 big league starts, could get the ball in a decisive Game 3.
As good as Fried was for the Yankees this season, Garrett Crochet was even better for the Red Sox, going 18-5 with a 2.59 ERA while leading the AL in innings pitched (205 1/3) and the Majors in strikeouts (255). He’ll get the ball in Game 1 in an epic battle of left-handed aces, while righty Brayan Bello (11-9, 3.35 ERA) will likely make his postseason debut in Game 2. Lucas Giolito is not on the roster due to an elbow issue, leaving Boston’s potential Game 3 starter yet to be determined.
Prediction: Yankees in three
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