The New York Yankees are heading to the American League Divisional Series for the third time in the last four seasons following a decisive Game 3 victory over Boston in the Wild Card round Thursday.
Rookie pitcher Cam Schlittler pitched eight innings of shutout baseball, striking out 12 in just his 15th start. He was brilliant and the Red Sox had no answer for him as he sat them down one-by-one, setting up David Bednar to tally three strikes and send the home team to the next round.
Cody Bellinger, Giancarlo Stanton, Amed Rosario, and Jazz Chisolm Jr. all scored on a night where the outcome was never in doubt after the fourth.
Up next for the Bronx Bombers is a best-of-five series against the Toronto Blue Jays, a team it knows all too well and who could very well spoil the Pinstripes’ hopes of a 28th World Series title.
New York Yankees (-101; bet $100, win $199)
Toronto Blue Jays (-120; bet $100, win 183.33)
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
The Blue Jays won eight of the 13 meetings with the Yankees this season. In those wins, Toronto outscored its rivals 59-31. New York scored the most runs in baseball in 2025, with 849, but in their matchups against the electric Jays hitters, they found it difficult to keep pace.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., George Springer, and Bo Bichette were outstanding, though the latter remains sidelined due to injury, with no clear return date.
Toronto led the big leagues in 1461 hits. They were fueled by their offense and its ability to put up runs against all opposition. They had to be, thanks in large part to a starting rotation that entered the postseason as one of the worst among playoff squads. Even with the potential return of Chris Bassitt.
A shaky bullpen does not do much to inspire confidence, either, placing the championship aspirations of the league’s top-seeded team on the shoulders of the offense.
That could be problematic if the Yankees’ rotation shows up.
Max Fried will have to be better than he was in the regular season against Toronto, when he gave up 11 earned runs in four starts. Carlos Rodón was 2-3 with a 4.72 ERA against the division champs. Schlittler, the star of Thursday’s series-deciding win, gave up six earned runs to the team in his two appearances.
If they can muster dominant performances and halt the Blue Jays’ offense, there is potential for the Yankees to beat up on a shaky rotation and bullpen and advance to their second consecutive ALCS.
Aaron Judge is the best hitter in baseball. Stanton can mash, Bellinger has excelled on the grandest stage in baseball, and Chisolm Jr. recorded a 30-30 season. They have the tools to put up crooked numbers. The question is whether they can keep pace and if they have the pitching to hold the opposition.
If Toronto continues to score, seemingly at will, New York’s dominant Game 3 performance is for not and Yankees fans will continue to cling to the successes of dynasties long gone.
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