There was a period when it looked like a very real possibility that the 2020 MLB season would be cancelled, as the owners refused to negotiate in good faith with the players union before unilaterally enforcing the 60-game COVID season. As part of the agreement, 16 teams would play in an unprecedented three-game Wild Card Series to open the playoffs, with seeding determined by overall record and the eight winners advancing to the Division Series.
Thus the Yankees, owners of the second-best record in the AL East, squared off against Cleveland, owners of the second-best record in the AL Central, to determine who would face the winner of the Rays-Blue Jays series in the ALDS.