TORONTO — The New York Yankees will face the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Division Series after dispatching their archrival, the Boston Red Sox, in a Wild Card Series.
The Yankees took the best-of-three series against the Red Sox 2-1, securing a 4-0 win Thursday night in New York. Rookie Cam Schlittler was outstanding, recording 12 strikeouts over eight innings. All four Yankee runs came in the bottom of the fourth inning, driven in by Amed Rosario, Anthony Volpe, and Austin Wells.
The first-ever playoff meeting between the Yankees and Blue Jays kicks off with games on Saturday and Sunday at 4:08 p.m. ET in Toronto before the series shifts to New York. The winner of this best-of-five series will advance to the AL Championship Series.
During the regular season, the Blue Jays won the series against the Yankees 8-5, a factor that proved crucial as both teams finished tied atop the American League with identical 94-68 records. The Jays claimed the American League East title and home-field advantage through the World Series due to that tiebreaker, while the Yankees had to battle through the tough Wild Card round against their longtime rivals from Boston.
Boston had defeated New York in their last three playoff meetings entering this postseason and took the first game of the Wild Card Series before the Yankees turned the tables.
New York is led by superstar and defending American League MVP Aaron Judge, who batted .363 with one RBI in the Wild Card Series. Judge led the majors during the regular season with a .331 batting average, accompanied by 53 home runs and 114 RBIs.
Toronto’s powerful lineup includes shortstop Bo Bichette, who finished tied for second in the major leagues with 181 hits despite playing only 139 games. Also key for the Jays are star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the resurgent 36-year-old outfielder and designated hitter George Springer. Bichette remains day-to-day with a left knee sprain that sidelined him for the final three weeks of the season.
The Blue Jays won their only World Series titles in 1992 and 1993 and last reached the ALCS in 2016. Meanwhile, the Yankees hold the record for the most World Series championships at 27, with their most recent title coming in 2009. They fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers in last year’s championship series.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Oct. 2, 2025.
https://globalnews.ca/news/11462402/blue-jays-to-face-division-rival-yankees-in-alds/
