The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox still know how to draw a crowd, even when superstar Aaron Judge is unavailable. Their Wild Card Series opener delivered an audience baseball had not seen for that postseason series in two decades.
Tuesday’s Game 1 averaged 7.3 million viewers across NBC and Peacock, making it the most-watched opener of an MLB Wild Card or Division Series since 2006, according to Front Office Sports. The rivalry gave NBC Sports a strong start in its return to postseason baseball.
The distinction matters: This was a 20-year high for a first-round Game 1, rather than an overall postseason viewership record. Still, drawing that audience without Judge in the lineup showed the enduring appeal of these two franchises.
Unfortunately for Boston fans, the competition did not live up to the anticipation. New York won the opener 9-0, then followed with a 9-2 victory Wednesday to complete the sweep. The Yankees outscored their longtime rivals 18-2 despite playing without their biggest offensive star.
Article Continues BelowThat marks consecutive years in which the Yankees have eliminated the Red Sox in the Wild Card round. Losing to New York always stings in Boston, but watching another postseason opportunity disappear against the same opponent makes this exit especially frustrating.
For the Yankees, the sweep demonstrated that their lineup could produce without Judge. Their pitching also kept Boston from generating enough offense to make either final score competitive.
New York now advances to face the AL East champion Tampa Bay Rays in the Division Series beginning Saturday. The challenge gets tougher, but the Yankees arrive with momentum after giving a massive national audience two convincing reasons to keep watching.