The regular season is officially in the rearview mirror, and the Boston Red Sox attention is shifted firmly to a three-game wild card series with the New York Yankees. 

With less than 36 hours until the first pitch in Tuesday’s Game 1, here’s how we see the roster taking shape: 

Manager Chad Tracy told reporters after Sunday’s loss to the Chicago Cubs that the team would announce its pitching plans sometime on Monday. While it’s still unknown which order they’ll appear in, Boston will start Payton Tolle, Sonny Gray, and Ranger Suarez in the three games. 

After throwing a live bullpen in Ft. Myers on Saturday with everything checking out positively, 2025 American League Cy Young Award runner-up Garrett Crochet is heading to New York with the team, though Tracy was unwilling to reveal whether he'd be on the roster. However, it would be hard to believe Crochet would travel with the team and not be activated, rather than remain in Ft. Myers to continue working his way toward a return. All signs point to Boston getting its ace back for the wild card round. 

The injury to Tyron Guerrero opened the door for Olds to be included on the postseason roster. The 27-year-old has performed well in limited action in 2026, posting a 1.15 ERA in 15.2 innings. Guerrero’s injury could also slide Bello into more high-leverage roles. After being moved to the bullpen on July 12, Bello posted a 1.98 ERA, the 12th-lowest mark among all qualified relievers. 

With Bello available in a more traditional relief role, the rookie left-hander, Bennett, joins the roster as the long-relief man. 

Left-hander Jovani Moran becomes the odd man out, with his spot going to Gamboa. After a strong start to the season, Moran showed signs of wear, posting a 4.12 ERA in his last 15 appearances. He’ll give way to Gamboa, who posted a 1.91 ERA in 21 appearances. 

The catching room is pretty straightforward. 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 missing the cut in version one of our roster projection, utility man Andruw Monasterio now finds himself inside the cut line after a bicep injury landed Mickey Gasper on the injured list. The 29-year-old will join Kiner-Falefa as a reserve infielder; however, because of his defensive limitations, Monasterio will likely serve only as a pinch-hitting option. 

After casting doubt on his postseason availability after Thursday’s series finale against the Cleveland Guardians, Contreras appears good to go, at least in some capacity, after logging two plate appearances in Sunday’s series finale as the designated hitter. 

If Contreras can't resume first-base duties, Sogard would likely slide to first base, with Monasterio or Kiner-Falefa at second, making Jarren Duran the odd man out of the starting lineup. 

Assuming Contreras is ready to resume first-base duties in game one, Duran will slot into left field against right-handed pitching while Anthony handles designated hitter duties. However, in game two against left-hander Max Fried, Duran will give way to the lefty-masher Jones as Anthony moves out to left field. 

After a season-ending injury to outfielder Eli White, the door opened for Ward, who stole a Triple-A club-record 61 bases in 2026, to join Boston and make his major league debut as a base-stealing specialist. 

Red Sox and Yankees will square off in game one of the best-of-three Wild Card series on Tuesday night from Yankee Stadium. Cam Schlittler (14-6, 1.95 ERA) will get the start for New York, while the Red Sox have yet to announce their pitching plans. 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.