Yankees Have Two Key Matchups in Wild Card Series

The New York Yankees won't be getting any time off after all, ending the regular season and immediately preparing to face the Boston Red Sox at home for a Wild Card Series.

In a breakdown of the key matchups in the coming series, the Athletic pointed out that the Yankees' defense and what Devin Williams does will be two of the most important factors for their success.

"Red Sox defense vs. Yankees defense: Both clubs have struggled to find consistency on the field with sloppy play and mental mistakes proving costly throughout the year," the Athletic staff wrote. "The Red Sox have cleaned it up of late, but after a rough start to the season, they still finished with a league-leading 116 errors. On the Yankees’ side, their defense has improved since the trade deadline. But it was just late last month when the Yankees dropped a crucial game against the Red Sox in which they committed three errors in one inning."

Sep 27, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) gestures after hitting a two run single in the fifth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The other major factor, with the exception of a notable showdown between Aaron Judge and potential Cy Young winner Garrett Crochet, is the shaky pitching of reliever Devin Williams. Williams has been a tough subject for the Yankees this year, and while he has a 0.00 ERA over his last nine games, he has a 4.79 ERA on the season (a career worst) and a bad reputation for blowing saves. He has four blown saves this season, and because three of them came in quick succession over the summer, the fanbase isn't eager to trust him in high leverage. With high-stakes games on the horizon, it's unclear how he'll perform.

"Devin Williams vs. Devin Williams: Which version of Williams will show up for the Yankees?" the Athletic staff wrote. "Will it be the one who is erratic with his fastball and all over the strike zone? Or the one who has a wipeout changeup that can neutralize any lineup in the league? Lately, it’s been the latter."

Aug 4, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Devin Williams (38) in action during the game between the Texas Rangers and the New York Yankees at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

"The Yankees don’t have many trusted relievers in the backend of their bullpen. Williams has been Public Enemy No. 1 this season for most New York fans — and the Yankees wouldn’t be in the wild-card round if he didn’t struggle as badly as he did early in the year — but they will need him to be a lockdown reliever against Boston."

The Yankees will play two or three games at Yankee Stadium (depending on how those games go) against their all-time nemesis. If they can get these pieces together, they can look forward to some October baseball.

Make sure to bookmark Yankees On SI to get all your daily New York Yankees news, interviews, breakdowns and more!