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BOSTON – Back in the Back Bay, the Yankees can bring a certain swagger into this year’s first meeting at Fenway Park.
In this ongoing saga between baseball’s ancient rivals, the Yankees outlasted the Red Sox in an entertaining best-of-three AL Wild Card Series last October in the Bronx.
And this 2026 version of the Olde Towne Team isn’t off to a brilliant start (9-13), while the Yanks (13-9) are atop the AL East, coming off a three-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals.
Here comes a real test of the Ben Rice-Aaron Judge dynamic atop the Yankees’ lineup.
With the Red Sox due to start lefties Connelly Early and Ranger Suarez in these first two games, will Rice be in manager Aaron Boone’s lineup both nights?And will he be in the leadoff spot?
One of the game’s most productive hitters to start 2026, the lefty-hitting Rice has homered in four straight games.
As the Yanks’ DH, Rice batted leadoff Sunday against KC lefty Cole Ragans, with Aaron Judge – who has homered in six of his last eight games – batting second.
That 1-2 punch has a lot of intrigue, and Rice – born and raised in New England – has earned an everyday spot, regardless of whether a lefty is starting.
Veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt is the usual option to start vs. lefties, with Boone valuing the ability to use Rice in a leveraged spot, even early in games.
But, again, Rice has more than earned an everyday assignment.
This will be Schlittler’s first start as a Yankee in Fenway Park.
And what a scene it’ll be for the kid from Weymouth, Mass., who attended Northeastern University and became the toast of New York in 2025.
Schlittler’s rookie campaign was highlighted by a brilliant performance against Boston in last October’s clinching Wild Card Series Game 3, with eight shutout innings and 12 strikeouts.
Of course, the backdrop to that sensational Bronx night was the social media venom aimed at Schlittler and his friends and family from a certain segment of Red Sox fans.
Schlittler rose above it all, more concerned about those closest to him – telling them not to respond – and had himself a playoff night that will be well remembered.
Well, it was quite an offseason for off-the-field Yankee-Red Sox friction.
It started with ex-Yankee and now current Boston closer Aroldis Chapman appearing on a podcast and declaring that he’d rather retire than ever pitch in pinstripes again.
Chapman will be on a Hall of Fame ballot when he retires, and he was coveted by the Yanks, who traded him to the (eventual world champion) Cubs in 2016 and re-signed him that winter.
But there were some memorable Yankee playoff moments after that (none of them good) and it ended badly in the Bronx, with Chapman cast off the postseason roster and going AWOL from the club.
When starter Sonny Gray arrived in Boston from the St. Louis Cardinals, the righty mentioned that he “never wanted to be a Yankee’’ when they acquired him via trade, adding that his old club was “easy to hate.’’
Gray wasn’t going to pitch this series and exited Monday’s Patriots Day win with a hamstring injury.
And then there’s old pal Isiah Kiner-Falefa, a Blue Jay last year, who mentioned upon his Fenway arrival that Toronto – matchup wise – preferred the Yanks as their AL Division Series opponent.
The fun starts again on Tuesday night.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: A rivalry renewed as the Yankees meet the Red Sox at Fenway Park
Continue reading...
In this ongoing saga between baseball’s ancient rivals, the Yankees outlasted the Red Sox in an entertaining best-of-three AL Wild Card Series last October in the Bronx.
And this 2026 version of the Olde Towne Team isn’t off to a brilliant start (9-13), while the Yanks (13-9) are atop the AL East, coming off a three-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals.
The Ben Rice Factor
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Here comes a real test of the Ben Rice-Aaron Judge dynamic atop the Yankees’ lineup.
With the Red Sox due to start lefties Connelly Early and Ranger Suarez in these first two games, will Rice be in manager Aaron Boone’s lineup both nights?And will he be in the leadoff spot?
One of the game’s most productive hitters to start 2026, the lefty-hitting Rice has homered in four straight games.
As the Yanks’ DH, Rice batted leadoff Sunday against KC lefty Cole Ragans, with Aaron Judge – who has homered in six of his last eight games – batting second.
That 1-2 punch has a lot of intrigue, and Rice – born and raised in New England – has earned an everyday spot, regardless of whether a lefty is starting.
Veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt is the usual option to start vs. lefties, with Boone valuing the ability to use Rice in a leveraged spot, even early in games.
But, again, Rice has more than earned an everyday assignment.
Cam Schlittler's Boston start
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This will be Schlittler’s first start as a Yankee in Fenway Park.
And what a scene it’ll be for the kid from Weymouth, Mass., who attended Northeastern University and became the toast of New York in 2025.
Schlittler’s rookie campaign was highlighted by a brilliant performance against Boston in last October’s clinching Wild Card Series Game 3, with eight shutout innings and 12 strikeouts.
Of course, the backdrop to that sensational Bronx night was the social media venom aimed at Schlittler and his friends and family from a certain segment of Red Sox fans.
Schlittler rose above it all, more concerned about those closest to him – telling them not to respond – and had himself a playoff night that will be well remembered.
Red Sox-Yanks rivalry started early in 2026
Well, it was quite an offseason for off-the-field Yankee-Red Sox friction.
It started with ex-Yankee and now current Boston closer Aroldis Chapman appearing on a podcast and declaring that he’d rather retire than ever pitch in pinstripes again.
Chapman will be on a Hall of Fame ballot when he retires, and he was coveted by the Yanks, who traded him to the (eventual world champion) Cubs in 2016 and re-signed him that winter.
But there were some memorable Yankee playoff moments after that (none of them good) and it ended badly in the Bronx, with Chapman cast off the postseason roster and going AWOL from the club.
When starter Sonny Gray arrived in Boston from the St. Louis Cardinals, the righty mentioned that he “never wanted to be a Yankee’’ when they acquired him via trade, adding that his old club was “easy to hate.’’
Gray wasn’t going to pitch this series and exited Monday’s Patriots Day win with a hamstring injury.
And then there’s old pal Isiah Kiner-Falefa, a Blue Jay last year, who mentioned upon his Fenway arrival that Toronto – matchup wise – preferred the Yanks as their AL Division Series opponent.
The fun starts again on Tuesday night.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: A rivalry renewed as the Yankees meet the Red Sox at Fenway Park
Continue reading...
