New York Yankees

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Lore & Background

The team's first game in New York was in 1903. In 1904, Highlander pitcher Jack Chesbro set the single-season wins record at 41. That year, they lost the deciding game on a wild pitch to the Boston Americans, who later became the Boston Red Sox. The Yankees have won 27 World Series championships, 41 American League pennants, and 21 AL East Division titles, all MLB records. The team's rivalry with the Boston Red Sox is one of the best-known in North American sports.

In Their Own Story

The narrative of this rivalry is punctuated by specific, dramatic turning points that define each era. In 1904, the Highlanders (later the Yankees) and the Boston Americans faced off in the final game to decide the AL pennant; a wild pitch by Jack Chesbro allowed the winning run to score for Boston. Later, in 1978, after holding a massive 14-game lead over the Yankees, the Red Sox saw New York force a tie and win the subsequent high-profile tie-breaker game for the division title. The psychological landscape shifted permanently on October 20, 2003, when the Yankees won the ALCS, only to lose their best-of-seven series in 2004 after leading 3–0. More recently, the teams faced off in the 2018 ALDS, where Boston's 16–1 win in Game 3 stands as the largest margin of defeat in Yankees postseason history. The rivalry continues to produce high stakes, with the Red Sox winning the 2021 American League Wild Card Game and the Yankees defeating them in the 2025 American League Wild Card Series.

Reader's Guide

The team is owned by Yankee Global Enterprises, controlled by the family of the late George Steinbrenner. As of 2025, Brian Cashman is general manager, Aaron Boone is field manager, and Aaron Judge is team captain. Home games were played at the original Yankee Stadium from 1923 to 1973 and 1976 to 2008; they shared Shea Stadium in 1974 and 1975; they moved to a new Yankee Stadium in 2009. The team's win–loss record from 1903 to the 2025 season is 10,872–8,216–88 (.569 winning percentage).

Did You Know?

• The Yankees were originally called the New York Highlanders when founded in 1903.
• Jack Chesbro set the single-season wins record with 41 in 1904.
• The team's 27 World Series titles are the most in Major League Baseball.
• The Yankees have had 52 players and 11 managers inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.