Yankees Choose to Play Red Sox in Potential Game 163!; Tie-Breaking Scenarios for AL Wild Card

So it all comes down to Game 162. Well, maybe. But probably not. With the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners all separated by one game for the two AL Wild Card spots, the tie-breaking scenarios can make your head spin. But let's give it a try, with help from Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.

All games begin at 3:00pm ET, so that no team has an advantage.

A four-way tie will occur if the Yankees and Red Sox lose (to the Tampa Bay Rays and Washington Nationals, respectively), while the Blue Jays beat the Baltimore Orioles and the Mariners beat the Los Angeles Angels. If that were to happen, the Game 163 tie-breakers would look like this:

Monday: Seattle at Toronto; New York at Boston

Tuesday: Winners would meet in the Wild Card game

The key here, based on the selection process, is that this alignment means that the Yankees actually chose to play in Boston rather than in Toronto under this scenario. A little extra fuel to the Red Sox/Yankees fire, perhaps?

Three-way tie: Toronto, Seattle, Boston (NYY as 1st Wild Card):

Monday: Toronto at Seattle

Tuesday: Boston at Tor/Sea winner

Three-way tie: Toronto, Seattle, NYY (Boston as 1st Wild Card):

Monday: Seattle at NYY

Tuesday: Toronto at Sea/NYY winner

Three-way tie: Toronto, Boston, NYY (Seattle loses on Sunday, eliminated):

Monday: Toronto at Boston

Tuesday: Tor/Bos loser at NYY

Wednesday: Two winners meet in AL Wild Card game

Three-way tie: Boston, NYY, Seattle (Toronto loses on Sunday, eliminated):

Monday: NYY at Boston

Tuesday: NYY/Bos loser at Seattle

Wednesday: Two Winners meet in AL Wild Card game

If there's something as simple as a two-way tie for 2nd Wild Card:

Monday: Toronto at Boston OR

Monday: NYY at Toronto OR

Monday: Seattle at Boston OR

Monday: Seattle at NYY

Tuesday: Winner of above game wins 2nd WC and travels to 1st WC winner.

Ok, so now that you've got that all down, here's the bottom line: Toronto and Seattle must win today, or their seasons are done. But even if they do both win, their seasons could still be done, if the Yankees and Red Sox both win their games.

And in a boon for all baseball fans everywhere, Jeff Passan tells us that no matter how you slice it, the Yankees and Red Sox will somehow be playing each other this coming week, one way or another. And now knowing that the Yankees this morning chose to play Boston rather than Toronto in a potential Game 163 just adds to the drama.

One addendum (I think) and then I’ll stop the spamming: The Yankees and Red Sox are guaranteed to play next week. Worst-case scenario, they’ll both be playing a 163. The only scenarios in which we don’t have a 163, in fact, is if both win or Seattle and Toronto both lose.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 3, 2021