NEW YORK — Rivalries are built on the field, but sometimes they’re fueled just as much by words. Yankees rookie pitcher Cam Schlittler provided the latest spark in the timeless New York–Boston feud when he delivered a pointed jab at Red Sox Nation this week.
Speaking to reporters, Schlittler revealed that some of his friends back home are Red Sox fans, and they weren’t thrilled to see Boston bounced from the postseason picture. His response, equal parts playful and biting, immediately spread across social media.
“I told them that’s exactly what was gonna happen,” Schlittler said with a grin. “They’ll get over it. Hockey season is coming up, basketball season is coming up. They’ve got other things to distract them.”
For Yankees fans, it was instant entertainment. For Red Sox fans, it was salt in the wound after their team returned to the playoffs for the first time in four years only to exit quickly. And for baseball as a whole, it was a reminder that the rivalry remains alive, even when October doesn’t pit the two franchises against each other.
A Rookie with a Voice
Schlittler, 22, has yet to cement himself as a household name, but he’s already showing a flair for speaking like a true Yankee. In a clubhouse filled with veterans and star power, his willingness to lean into the rivalry endeared him to teammates who understand the cultural weight of New York versus Boston.
The Red Sox–Yankees rivalry has never needed much to ignite. Decades of history, from the sale of Babe Ruth to the bloody sock game to Aaron Boone’s pennant-winning home run, have kept the flames burning. Even in years when one side isn’t a contender, the fan bases keep the hostility alive. Schlittler’s comment was less about disrespecting Boston than about acknowledging that in New York, every chance to poke fun at the Sox is fair game.
Red Sox Fans React
Predictably, Boston fans weren’t amused. On sports radio in New England, callers expressed annoyance that a rookie with just a handful of big-league appearances felt bold enough to take a shot. But others admitted that this is simply what comes with the territory. “If you wear pinstripes, you’re gonna talk,” one fan said on WEEI. “We just gotta answer on the field.”
The Red Sox, who showed flashes of promise in their playoff return, are expected to be even stronger next season as their young core matures. That reality ensures that the rivalry could return to full postseason form sooner rather than later.
The Value of Rivalry
Baseball, perhaps more than any other sport, thrives on its rivalries. Yankees–Red Sox is the crown jewel, a matchup that transcends the standings and unites generations of fans in equal parts pride and bitterness. Comments like Schlittler’s are more than trash talk—they’re part of the theater that makes the rivalry unique.
The Yankees themselves are in a period of transition, with Aaron Judge still the centerpiece but questions swirling around the roster’s depth and pitching health. Injecting a young arm like Schlittler, paired with his off-the-field swagger, could be exactly the type of spark the fan base rallies around.
Time will tell whether Schlittler backs up his words on the mound. But one thing is clear: in a rivalry as storied as Yankees–Red Sox, even rookies understand the assignment.
As one Yankees fan put it online after hearing his comments: “That’s the spirit. You don’t just play the Red Sox—you roast them too.”
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