The MLB regular season is coming to a close and the Red Sox and Yankees are tied for first place in the AL East. If they end the season tied, what happens?
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The scenario
The Red Sox and Yankees are currently tied for first place in the American League East. If they finish the season tied, they will face each other in a one-game playoff. This has happened before, in 1978 and 2008. Here’s what would happen if it happened again.
What would happen if the Red Sox and Yankees were tied at the end of the season?
Assuming that both teams have the same record, the tiebreaker would be who has the better head-to-head record against each other.
If they split the season series evenly, or if one team swept the other, then it would come down to who had the better record in their own division.
If they are still tied after that, then it would go to whoever had the better record in Interleague play.
And if they are still tied after all of that, then a one-game playoff would be held to determine who goes to the postseason.
The history
The most important thing to know about what happens if the Red Sox and Yankees tie is the history behind the two teams. The Yankees and Red Sox have been rivals for over a hundred years. The two teams have played each other 2,217 times. The Yankees have won 1,269 of those games and the Red Sox have won 948.
How often has this happened before?
It turns out that this has only happened four times in the last century. The last time it occurred was in 1978, when the Yankees and Red Sox were tied for first place going into a one-game playoff. The Red Sox went on to lose that game, of course, in one of the most brutal ways possible: Bucky Dent’s homerun.
What was the most recent instance?
The most recent instance of the Red Sox and Yankees finishing with identical records came in 1978, when both teams finished the regular season at 99-63. That year, a one-game playoff was held to determine the American League East champion, and the Yankees won, 5-4, on Bucky Dent’s go-ahead home run in the seventh inning.
The implications
If the Red Sox and Yankees were to tie for the AL East lead at the end of the season, it would create a bit of a headache for the Major League Baseball playoff committee. Here’s a look at what would happen if the two teams were to finish the season with the same record.
What would happen to the standings?
If the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees were to finish the season with the same record, a tiebreaker game would be played to determine which team would win the American League East division title. The winner of that game would then advance to the American League Division Series, while the loser would play in the American League Wild Card Game.
How would the playoffs be affected?
The most likely scenario would be that the two teams would play a one-game playoff to decide who wins the division and who goes home. This has happened before in Major League Baseball, most recently in 2008, when the Chicago White Sox beat the Minnesota Twins in a one-game playoff.
If the Red Sox and Yankees both make the playoffs as wild card teams, they would not play each other in the first round. Instead, they would each play a different team in the American League Division Series. The winner of that series would then advance to the American League Championship Series, where they would face off against either the Houston Astros or the Cleveland Indians.
The reaction
If the Red Sox and Yankees were to tie for the Wild Card, there would be a lot of angry fans. This is because both teams are rivals and have a long history. The fans would be really upset if their team didn’t make it to the playoffs.
How would the fans react?
It would be an absolute disaster. The two fan bases are some of the most passionate in all of baseball, and they absolutely HATE each other. A tie would send the already fragile relationship into complete and utter chaos. New York Yankees fans would be livid, and Boston Red Sox fans would be apoplectic. The two fan bases would go back-and-forth for years about who the real winner is, and it would cause a lot of bad blood between the two cities.
How would the players react?
The American League East title has been decided in a tiebreaker game before, but if the Red Sox and Yankees were to finish the season deadlocked atop the standings, they would both advance to the postseason.
Red Sox players would be ecstatic to make the playoffs, especially after such a disappointing end to last season. They would likely celebrate on the field[1] after their final game, whether they won or lost, and would give each other high-fives and hugs. The team would then head to the clubhouse to pop champagne and celebrate[2] their accomplishment.
Yankees players would also be thrilled[3] to make the playoffs, but their reaction would probably be more subdued than that of the Red Sox. They would likely give each other handshakes and congratulatory pats on the back[4], but wouldn’t go overboard with their celebration. The team would then head to the clubhouse for a low-key celebration[5].
The conclusion
The Major League Baseball (MLB) postseason is upon us, and as always, the Red Sox and Yankees are at the top of the standings vying for the American League (AL) East title.
What is the most likely outcome?
If the Red Sox and Yankees tie for first place at the end of the season, the two teams will have a one-game playoff to determine who goes to the playoffs and who does not. This game would be played at a neutral site.
