The New York Yankees are facing a win-or-go-home Game 3 in the ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday.
And, Stephen A. Smith thinks a Yankees loss could be the end of the road for manager Aaron Boone.
“I’m not wishing this, but I think Aaron Boone will be fired,” Smith said during an episode of “First Take.”
“You can not lose the way that the Yankees lost in Game 2 the other night,” Smith added. “You can’t look like the modern-day version of The Bad News Bears.”
"I’m not wishing this, but I think Aaron Boone will be fired." —@stephenasmith on what a loss to Tampa could mean for the Yankees’ future 👀 https://t.co/nUaQSroakj
— First Take (@FirstTake) October 7, 2026
The Yankees had three errors in the first inning of Game 2 en route to a 5-2 loss and a 2-0 series deficit.
New York lost Game 1 on Saturday, 1-0, although Rays pitcher Drew Rasmussen dazzled with just one hit in eight innings as he flirted with a no-hitter.
Still, Boone’s future in the Bronx is up in the air, and he is finishing up his ninth season as the team’s manager.
The good news is that the Yankees are palying at home in Game 3, and Max Fried is the starter even though his girlfriend is expecting a baby any day.
But, if New York loses, there might be a chance at manager this offseason, and Stephen A. Smith thinks that should be the case.
