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Sep 7, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (27) celebrates with New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) after the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Smith-Imagn Images Mark Smith-Imagn Images

Ranking Yankees Potential Wild Card Matchups

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Jack Markowski | Last updated Sep 12, 2025 11:00 AM ET

The New York Yankees have all but clinched a playoff spot for the eighth time in the last nine seasons, though their potential Wild Card Series opponent is still up in the air.

Assuming the Yankees don't mount a comeback and overtake the Toronto Blue Jays, whom they sit three games back of for first place in the AL East while also not holding the head-to-head tiebreaker, there's a number of different clubs they may run into in a best-of-three series to kick off the postseason.

With that, let's rank New York's four most likely Wild Card foes from least to most preferred.

John Jones-Imagn Images

4. Boston Red Sox

A Wild Card Series between the Yankees and Red Sox would be nothing short of electric, and it's also the most probable matchup on the board by far, but this rivalry has not fallen in the former's favor recently.

With three games still remaining between the teams this season, Boston is currently leading the series 8-2 while slashing .264/.364/.451 with a 3.54 ERA. The Yankees, on the other hand, own a 5.18 ERA and a .670 OPS vs. the Red Sox this year.

New York is currently half a game up on Boston for the top Wild Card spot while sitting 2 1/2 games ahead on the Seattle Mariners, who are the final team in the field.

If the season were to end today, the Red Sox would hit the road for a postseason series at Yankee Stadium. With home-field advantage or not, however, New York would have to face ace Garrett Crochet as well as one of the best bullpens in the league, which isn't a recipe for success.

3. Seattle Mariners

The Mariners have run hot and cold for the entire year, but they have a dangerous formula that could translate into plenty of wins come playoff time.

With a rotation headlined by Bryan Woo, Logan Gilbert, Luis Castillo and George Kirby, Seattle has a litany of starters that can shut down opposing offenses on any given day. Coupled with a strong bullpen that features Andrés Muñoz, one of the top closers in baseball, scoring runs wouldn't come easy for the Yankees.

The Mariners' lineup is deep as well, with Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodríguez, Randy Arozarena, Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suárez, among others, all posing major threats at the plate.

Seattle would either have to overtake Boston in the standings or win the AL West while the Yankees simultaneously drop to the final Wild Card spot in order for this matchup to occur, so it's not particularly likely that the two sides will meet up.

New York has had the Mariners' number this season, going 5-1 against them in the regular season, but that would more or less go out the window once the playoffs begin.

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

2. Houston Astros

As has been well-documented, the Yankees have found no success against the Astros in their many postseason meetings over the years.

The two teams have played each other four times in the playoffs since 2015, and Houston has advanced on all of those occasions. If they were to match up this October, however, there's reason to believe the outcome could be different.

The Astros' lineup is still dangerous with the likes of Jeremy Pena, Yordan Alvarez, Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and Jake Meyers, but it's rather top-heavy. On a similar note, Hunter Brown and Framber Valdez is a daunting one-two punch in the rotation, especially in a best-of-three series, but their depth outside of that duo is severely lacking as Cristian Javier continues to find his footing after returning from Tommy John surgery in August.

Josh Hader, Bryan Abreu, Steven Okert, Bennett Sousa and Bryan King make up an excellent Houston bullpen, but the club as a whole is more vulnerable to defeat than it has been in the past.

As the current AL West leaders, the Astros would likely have to win the division and lock up the No. 3 seed while the Yankees fall to the final Wild Card spot in order for this matchup to occur.

1. Texas Rangers

The Rangers are on a hot streak right now, going 15-5 since August 20, which has put them just 2 games back of the Astros in the AL West and 1 1/2 behind the Mariners for the final Wild Card spot.

The path towards Texas and New York facing off in the playoffs in convoluted, as the former would either have to pass both Seattle and Boston in the Wild Card standings or win its division while the latter finishes as the No. 6 seed, but it's still technically possible.

Jacob deGrom remains one of the league's top rotation arms and would be the Rangers' unquestioned Game 1 starter, but Jack Leiter, Patrick Corbin, Merrill Kelly and Tyler Mahle, the latter of whom is currently on a rehab assignment as he works his way back from a shoulder injury, aren't exactly top-flight options behind him.

Texas' bullpen isn't anything to write home about either, and its lineup is questionable considering Marcus Semien may miss the rest of the season with a foot injury while Corey Seager recovers from an appendectomy.

You can't discount any team in the playoffs, especially not the 2023 World Series champions, but the Yankees would have to feel pretty good about their chances if they were to take on the Rangers.

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