The first Yankees-Red Sox series is here, and considering the fireworks from their last face-off in the 2025 AL Wild Card Series, expect a few more this time. And the Yankees’ face, who led the brigade against Boston last year, will also start on Thursday at Fenway Park.
Cam Schlitter, the Yankees’ late-2025 find, has taken the fight to the Red Sox since he debuted in MLB. His 8 scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts in Game 3 in the Wild Card Series ended Boston’s 2025 run. But Schlittler didn’t stop there, but took out the troll later on. New year and new season, but the Yankees’ ace confirmed the battle is still on.
“Most normal fans couldn’t care less, right?” Schlittler said via NY Post. “It’s just those diehards that just have nothing else in their lives other than baseball or sports that really care about this, and the fact that I play for the Yankees makes it worse for them.”
As per Schlittler, trolls, including death threats, continue to target him and his family. He expects the frequency will only increase hereon as he is set to make his Fenway debut. Still, Schlittler remains unfazed. “I don’t really care going in there that they kind of hate me,” Schlittler said. “I don’t have an issue with that. It really just gets me going a little bit.”
Well, the beef between the Red Sox fans and Schlittler had a deeper reason than just his shutout innings last year. Despite playing for the Yankees, Schlittler grew up a Red Sox fan in the Boston suburbs and played college baseball at Northeastern University in Boston. And the irony was, his breakout moment came during the 2025 AL Wild Card Series against Boston only.
“I’m happy their season’s done,” Schlittler took a dig at the Red Sox after ending their 2025 journey, which further infuriates the Boston fans. While the Yankees dominated the Red Sox that series, the beef is again gaining traction. Schlittler knows what’s waiting for him this Thursday at Fenway Park. “It’s gonna be bad, it’s gonna be bad. I’m not nervous about it. But it’s gonna be loud,” he said.
Apart from Schlittler’s and the Yankees’ dominance over the Red Sox in the postseason, Boston dominated the regular season. They faced each other 13 times in the 2025 regular season, and the Yankees won only 4. So, while the Red Sox need to dominate Schlittler this time, the Yankees also need to rectify their 2025 stats.
The Yankees’ best chance to dominate the Red Sox is here
The upcoming series might be the best chance for the Yankees to set their record straight against the Red Sox. The first reason is the resurgence of their offense. After a few hiccups, power hitting is back with the Yankees lineup. That was very much evident in the series against the Royals.
The Yankees are currently ranked 3rd in hitting home runs (29). They are 10th in total runs scored (103). So, runs are coming, and Aaron Judge’s 8 homers, Ben Rice’s .339, and Cody Bellinger’s .274 average are enough to assure the fans. If that was not enough, the Yankees’ rotation is doing its best. Schlittler, who would start on Thursday, recorded a 1.95 ERA this year.
On the other hand, the Red Sox’s battered pitching staff should make the work for the Yankees easier. The Red Sox starters, including Garrett Crochet (7.58 ERA) and Sonny Gray (4.43 ERA), are struggling. Their depth chart includes Johan Oviedo, Patrick Sandoval, and Kutter Crawford, who are also sidelined with injuries. So, the Bombers should have an easy way out of Fenway.
But as Schlittler stated, fans at Fenway Park are also a force to reckon with. The stadium’s design places fans right on top of the field, creating an intimate yet intense environment where players can clearly hear heckling. We are certain about what’s waiting there for the Yankees, and it would be interesting to see how they overcome that.
