The New York Yankees held an emotional pregame ceremony on September 11, 2026, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, as the Yankees faced the Mets in the final Subway Series of the season. The event featured performances and tributes to honor the victims and first responders.
Country music singer Lee Greenwood, 83, reprised his performance of 'God Bless the USA' at Yankee Stadium, a song that became a national anthem in the wake of the attacks. He had previously performed it at Game 4 of the 2001 World Series. Following Greenwood's rendition, opera tenor James Valenti performed the national anthem, eliciting emotional responses from fans.
Members of the Yankees' 2001 team, including Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Paul O'Neill, Tino Martinez, Scott Brosius, Mariano Rivera, and manager Joe Torre, walked onto the field in their former pinstripe jerseys. They joined servicemen and women, including honor guards from the NYPD, FDNY, and PAPD, who presented the colors as a large American flag was unfurled in the outfield.
Brielle Saracini and her husband, Sean McGuire, threw the ceremonial first pitches. Saracini's father was the captain of United Flight 175, and McGuire's father worked on the 84th floor of the South Tower of the World Trade Center. Both lost their fathers at age 10 and met years later at a support camp for children affected by the tragedy.
Earlier in the day, Jeter, accompanied by current Yankees captain Aaron Judge and pitcher Gerrit Cole, laid a commemorative wreath at the 9/11 monument in Monument Park.
During the game, both Mets and Yankees players wore navy caps with either 'FDNY' or 'NYPD' embroidered on the front, honoring the city's first responders. Yankees catcher Austin Wells's equipment also featured FDNY logos and the words 'Never Forget.' The catcher's equipment manufacturer announced that the gear would be auctioned off, with proceeds benefiting the FDNY.
This marked the second time the Subway Series has been played on September 11, with the previous occasion being the 20th anniversary in 2021. Major League Baseball also held pregame ceremonies nationwide, and players, managers, coaches, and umpires wore special caps with a 'We Shall Never Forget' side patch. Following the 2001 attacks, MLB postponed games for over a week. The Mets played the first New York game after the attacks on September 21, 2001, and the Yankees played their first home game on September 25, ultimately reaching the World Series that year.