On Friday afternoon, what seemed inevitable in recent weeks became official.

With a win over the Chicago Cubs in Game 1 of Friday’s split-doubleheader at Fenway Park, the Boston Red Sox clinched the second of the three American League Wild Cards.

And a rematch of last year’s Wild Card series with the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium next week.

In between Games 1 and 2 on Friday, members of the Red Sox vacillated between a take-care-of-business attitude and excitement.

“I think everybody’s excited, but we still got two more games to play, and you got to take care of those,” catcher Adley Rutschman said, before he acknowledged that his first Red Sox-Yankees series in the Bronx last month was unlike any other. “You can definitely tell there’s just a different level of buzz going on, just like with the atmosphere of the stadium and everything going on. So definitely is like a little bit more elevated. I’m sure that playoffs is going to be even more than that.”

“It’s a huge matchup,” rookie left-hander Jake Bennett said, “and for us to go there and be able to take care of business, is going to be awesome.”

Roman Anthony was the most eager of the three. His dominant rookie season helped the 2025 Red Sox reach the playoffs for the first time since 2021, but a season-ending oblique strain in early September meant he watched the Wild Card round from Fort Myers, Fla. while rehabbing at the Red Sox spring training complex.

The reverse happened this year; Anthony did not play between May 5 and Aug. 29 due to a hand injury, but his teammates found a way to turn their difficult spring around and save the season.

“Yeah, very (excited),” said Anthony, who explained he went “into Playoff Mode the day I got back here.”

Though manager Chad Tracy reiterated his sentiments from Sunday’s clinch celebrations, that the Red Sox “don’t really care who we play,” he, too, acknowledged the magnitude of the matchup.

“I’ve been watching Red Sox-Yankees since I was a kid,” the Red Sox manager said. “It’s Red Sox-Yankees. (It’s) no secret, as far as the rivalry that exists over the years, for a very long time. That’s obvious to everybody. So I know there’s always a little extra.”