When you think of great rivalries in baseball, you immediately think of the one between the Red Sox and the Yankees. The two clubs are long-time rivals, and even in the regular season, there’s a playoff feel to their duels.
What could be better than to see them face off in the playoffs this time?
The Yankees, who finished with the same record as the Blue Jays (i.e., the best record in America), are forced to go through a best-of-second series. And for the occasion, they face the Red Sox, who have bounced back nicely from the Rafael Devers trade.
So, who’s got the edge?
The pitchers
In terms of the rotation, there are some big names on both sides. Garrett Crochet and Max Fried will face off in Game 1, while Brayan Bello will cross swords with Carlos Rodon in Game 2.
That said, in a possible third match, the picture gets more complicated. Rookie Cam Schlittler would be Aaron Boone’s man of choice… but Boston’s third starter, Lucas Giolito, won’t be in the series.
He has an elbow injury.
This begs the question of who would be the third starter, and it’s safe to assume that rookie Connelly Early would get the assignment. An ultimate game between the Yankees and Red Sox pitting two rookies against each other on the mound: that would be something.
In terms of the bullpen, the Red Sox have two big names in Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman, who won’t be popular with the Bronx crowd. That said, the Yankees have a little more depth-David Bednar is the big name, but guys like Fernando Cruz, Mark Leiter Jr. Luke Weaver and Devin Williams are trusted arms.
Because yes, over the past month, Williams has once again become untouchable. And with just a few weeks to go before he becomes independent, a big series could bring him a big contract.
Position players
It’s hard not to give the Yankees the edge in this category. The club can field a full lineup of guys who have hit at least 19 home runs this year (Judge, Grisham, Chisholm Jr., Bellinger, Rice, Wells, Stanton, McMahon and Volpe), and there’s some nice depth in Paul Goldschmidt, Jose Caballero and Jasson Dominguez.
Expect to see Amed Rosario against lefties too: he’s a specialist.
But obviously, in New York, the big question is Aaron Judge. We know he can break things down in the regular season… but now he’ll have to prove he can do it in the playoffs.
And on the strength of (another) historic season, he’ll have to silence his critics… even if, despite his playoff record, opposing managers are keeping an eye on him.
As for Boston, Roman Anthony’s absence hurts a lot. He was the club’s best hitter before his injury, and the club is far less formidable without Anthony.
But despite everything, there are some interesting elements. Trevor Story has regained his prime, Jarren Duran brings energy to the group and Alex Bregman is an old playoff veteran who knows how to beat the Yankees in October.
Let’s hope the virus he’s currently suffering from doesn’t affect his on-field performance too much.
On both sides, the defense is capable of the best and the worst. We’ve seen the Yankees crumble defensively on more than one occasion in the last year, but the club has found its way back north in recent weeks.
Let’s see how long that lasts.
The managers
Alex Cora has never lost a series to the Yankees.
For this simple reason, it’s hard not to give him the edge. Cora has quite a track record and is capable of getting the best out of his group, the man who brought the Red Sox to the playoffs despite the Rafael Devers trade and Roman Anthony’s injury.
Okay, so it’s not as much out of left field as the manager claims, but it’s still a great achievement.
With the Yankees, Aaron Boone is often criticized, and seen as the weakest link in town. That said, a little under the radar, we’ve seen him evolve in recent weeks: he’s been able to make tougher decisions for the good of the club.
Sending Anthony Volpe to the bench from time to time, adjusting the use of his paddock: he’s improved… but we’ll have to see if nature takes its course.
The imponderables
This season, the Red Sox have had the Yankees’ number, winning nine of the 13 duels between the two clubs. But when the two clubs met in September, the Yankees won the series.
We also know that while the series is an annual tradition, it’s more difficult for the Red Sox, who are in it for only the second time since 2018. The Yankees therefore have more playoff experience… but the Bas Rouges, for several years now, haven’t lost in the playoffs to the Bombardiers.
And it’s worth remembering that while the club hasn’t often tasted the playoffs, Alex Bregman, Aroldis Chapman and Alex Cora have already won the World Series. Boston does have some experience.
The Yankees’ home-field advantage over the Red Sox is substantial. The fan base doesn’t need a reason to be loud, but it will be even louder against Boston’s rivals.
Grab yourself a nice popcorn to enjoy this series: it’s sure to be the headliner of this first round.
This content was created with the help of AI.
