Ahead of Tuesday night’s Wild Card Game 1 against the New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox announced its postseason roster. 

Here’s what you need to know: 

As announced at his media availability on Monday, Boston manager Chad Tracy will hand the ball to the trio of Payton Tolle, Sonny Gray, and Ranger Suarez in the series, with the 23-year-old rookie starting in Tuesday’s Game 1. 

The big story of the pitching group is, of course, the return of 2025 American League Cy Young runner-up Garrett Crochet. The 27-year-old lefty landed on the injured list on April 29 with left shoulder inflammation that kept him out for the remainder of the regular season. After throwing a pair of live bullpens, Crochet is expected to return in one- or two-inning spurts. 

No real surprises in the rest of the bullpen: both Wyatt Olds and Alec Gamboa earned a spot on the roster after performing incredibly well in the absence of Justin Slaten and Tyron Guerrero. The 27-year-old Olds posted a 1.15 ERA in 15.2 innings, while the lefty Gamboa posted a 1.91 ERA in 21 appearances. 

After a strong start to the season, left-hander Jovani Moran is the odd man out of the bullpen. The 29-year-old posted a 2.63 ERA in his first 35 appearances, but struggled to a 4.58 ERA in his final 15. 

It’ll be interesting to see how eager Tracy is to use rookie left-hander Jake Bennett, who will presumably serve as a long reliever in the Wild Card. The 25-year-old was initially expected to start Game 1 in the divisional round, should Boston advance. 

No surprises in the catching room: after a rough start to his Red Sox tenure, Rutschman ended the regular season on a high note, hitting .268/.305/.482/.787 in his final 15 games. He’ll handle the work behind the plate, with Wong serving as his backup. 

After likely being on the outside looking in, the bicep injury to Mickey Gasper secured Monasterio’s place on the postseason roster. The 29-year-old will join Kiner-Falefa as a reserve infielder; however, due to his defensive limitations, Monasterio will likely only serve as a pinch-hitting option. 

All-Star first baseman Willson Contreras cast doubt on his postseason availability last week after being hit in the right hand by a pitch in Boston’s Sept. 17 win over the Texas Rangers. After returning to the lineup as the designated hitter for Sunday’s regular-season finale, Contreras is expected back at first base Tuesday night. 

The final spot on the roster likely came down to Eaton and spring training standout Braiden Ward, who was under consideration for a pinch-running specialist role. Ultimately, the team chose the more versatile Eaton, who can play both infield and outfield and offers 95th-percentile sprint speed.  

The rest of the outfield is fairly straightforward; after Gasper's injury, Duran will slot into left field against right-handed pitching while Anthony handles designated hitter duties. However, in Game 2 against left-hander Max Fried, Duran will give way to the lefty-masher Jones as Anthony moves out to left field. 

The Red Sox and Yankees will square off in Game 1 of the Wild Card series on Tuesday night from Yankee Stadium. Tolle (9-6, 3.03 ERA) gets the start for Boston opposite the likely American League Cy Young Award winner, Cam Schlittler (14-6, 1.95 ERA) for New York. First pitch is set for 8:00 p.m. ET. 

Zach Coe and David Azer are back on the 'Entering Kenmore' Podcast, previewing the Red Sox' Wild Card matchup with the Yankees. Check it out wherever you get your podcasts or in the YouTube player below.