The Boston Red Sox's race to the World Series begins on September 30 against the New York Yankees. The Red Sox released their roster for the Wild Card round on Tuesday morning, and besides the injury to Lucas Giolito, there aren't many surprises.
Teams have to reduce their 28-player September rosters back down to 26 for the postseason. Boston did this easily with Giolito on the sidelines, and Alex Cora had previously told reporters that he would only carry two catchers after the Red Sox designated Ali Sánchez for assignment on September 23.
Because of their many pitcher injuries, three of Boston's young arms made the cut for the postseason — Connelly Early, Kyle Harrison and Payton Tolle. Garrett Crochet will start Game 1 for the Red Sox, and Brayan Bello, a known Yankee killer, will likely start Game 2 in his postseason debut. Early or Harrison are the likeliest choices for Game 3, if necessary.
Crochet has been one of the best pitchers in MLB this season and he's a clear frontrunner for the American League Cy Young Award. He's posted a 2.59 ERA with an MLB-leading 255 strikeouts and a 1.028 WHIP over 205.1 frames. He's clocked a 3.29 ERA in four appearances against the Yankees this year, with a 0.878 WHIP and 39 strikeouts in 27.1 innings pitched.
Bello has taken huge steps in Boston's rotation this year, with a 3.35 ERA, a 1.236 WHIP, 124 strikeouts and 59 walks over 166.2 innings. He's quietly owned the Yankees throughout his career, with a 2.30 ERA against them, while they've slashed .213/.283/.301 against him over 11 outings.
Red Sox lean on young pitchers on Wild Card roster in hopes to beat Yankees in the Bronx
Locked in our Wild Card squad. pic.twitter.com/vBcJZnKdNI
— Red Sox (@RedSox) September 30, 2025
The Red Sox will use multiple ex-Yankees against their former team throughout the Wild Card series, and their performances with Boston have been far better than their tenures in New York. Aroldis Chapman is the best example, as he's posted a career season at age 37. He still touches triple digits on the radar gun and his 1.17 ERA and 32 saves are deadly in the ninth inning. Carlos Narváez, Garrett Whitlock, Rob Refsnyder, Justin Wilson and Greg Weissert are other former Yankees who've suited up for Boston this year.
Romy Gonzalez and Ceddanne Rafaela have made the roster as "infielder/outfielders," so they could be shuffled around throughout the series. Rafaela's outfield defense will be one of the Red Sox's best weapons throughout the postseason, and the Yankees are the best slugging team in the league. Hopefully, he spends most of his time in the grass.
Cora announced on September 29 that Jarren Duran will start Game 1 with Max Fried on the mound for the Yankees. Duran has struggled to hit lefties all season, with a .211/.260/.340 slash line against them, but his aggressive base running and speed are too good to pass up against a team as slow as New York.
The Red Sox have exploited the Yankees' defensive inadequacies in the past, like when they stole nine bases against them in a single game last season. David Hamilton led the charge with four stolen bags that day, and despite his lackluster offense, Boston can put his skillset to good use.
Boston took the season series from New York, 9-4, and even managed a sweep of its archrival. October is a different beast, however, and beating the Yankees in the Bronx will be no small task, especially with Giolito out of the lineup and so much depth on the injured list.
Still, the Red Sox have delivered against the Yankees more often than not this season, and they haven't lost a playoff series to them since 2003. Hopefully, they can keep the streak alive.