Stellar Pitchers, Big Bats, and a Pennant Race: Red Sox-Yankees Will Have It All

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Deesha Thosar

MLB Writer

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Two of MLB’s biggest brands entered the season with something to prove.

The Yankees? Getting back to the World Series after last October’s humbling exit. The Red Sox? Reach the playoffs for the first time since 2021. 

But this season, these perennial powers are chasing instead of pacing the league, which has actually led to one of more thrilling pennant races this year. It only adds to the tension of a highly-anticipated four-game series that begins on Thursday in the Bronx.

Here are five storylines to follow before the most iconic rivalry in baseball takes center stage. 

Old Rivalry, New Meaning

It’s not Jason Varitek and Alex Rodriguez getting into a shoving match and inciting a benches-clearing brawl for the ages. It’s not Pedro Martinez throwing 72-year-old bench coach Don Zimmer to the ground. It’s not Derek Jeter diving into the stands, or David Ortiz hitting walk-off after walk-off.

Who knows when we’ll see that intense level of hatred again in the Red Sox-Yankees storied rivalry. But the Red Sox swept the Yankees at Fenway Park the last time they met in June, and that injected some spice back into it. 

New York is 1-5 against Boston this year, and the two teams are set to meet seven more times before the season is over. That means the Yankees can only afford to lose one game against the Red Sox the rest of the way if they want to own the better record in the season series. Why does this matter? After the regular season is over, whether it’s a tie atop the division or for the final Wild Card spot, tiebreakers will be determined by the head-to-head record. 

So, this time, the pressure is on the Yankees to prove they can still beat the Red Sox. Let’s not go as far as to suggest the Bronx Bombers are the underdogs. After all, the Yankees are way too talented, and they flash a 2025 payroll that’s $100 million more than the Red Sox. But, after dropping so far behind in their head-to-head record, New York has its back against the wall. If the Yankees’ playoff dreams end up hinging on their season results against Boston, they have to win at least six of their next seven meetings to gain the advantage. For the Red Sox, two wins in the Bronx this weekend will clinch the tiebreaker.

AL East Combat

Make sure your popcorn is ready. There will be a ton of significance in the AL East standings this weekend. The four-game series gives both teams a chance to make a statement by creating some separation in the standings. They know what’s at stake, and that type of tension has the tendency to bring out the best performances. 

Wally the Green Monster makes his feelings known about Yankees. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images) <!–>

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Days after the Yankees were swept by the Red Sox back in June, Aaron Judge was asked for his thoughts on the state of the team. “Are we in first place?” Judge retorted. The answer, he knew, was yes. At the time, New York had a 1.5-game lead over the Blue Jays for first place in the AL East, while Boston was all the way back in fourth, eight games behind the Yankees. 

Without even knowing, the Yankees captain gave his division rivals a shot in the arm. The day after Judge’s comment, the Red Sox went on a stretch that changed the course of their season, winning 12 of their next 13 games to climb up the rankings. Meanwhile, the Yankees opened August by tumbling to third place. Entering Wednesday, the Yankees are in second, five games behind the Blue Jays, and the Red Sox are in third, six games back. 

Judge, Stanton, and the Yanks’ Murky Outfield Situation

Speaking of Judge, will we see him back in right field? Will we see him back in the outfield at any point this season? Right now, the Yankees can’t answer either of those questions, suggesting Judge’s injury could be worse than they’re letting on. 

“I don’t think we’re going to see him back to throwing like he normally does at any point this year,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said in a Tuesday morning radio appearance. “We’re trying to get through where he can let it go with ease, and be able to protect himself.”

Judge spent 10 days on the injured list with a right flexor strain at the end of June. The Yankees said a scan didn’t show damage in his ulnar collateral ligament, and that he would not require surgery. But the slugger has been limited to serving as the team’s designated hitter since returning from the IL, and Boone’s latest update indicates he’ll continue hitting in that role for the foreseeable future.

Quite a power trio. Giancarlo Stanton celebrates with Cody Bellinger with Aaron Judge looking along. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) <!–>

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That puts Giancarlo Stanton’s usage (and health) in question. 

Stanton, the team’s primary DH, has been forced to play in the outfield since Judge’s injury, and the six-ish games he’s played there have taken a toll on his body. Three straight days of Stanton playing in the outfield were followed by three straight days off, with the slugger experiencing lower-body soreness. Prior to this month, Stanton last logged innings in the outfield in 2023. But Stanton has been on an offensive tear since returning from the IL in June, crushing 14 home runs with a 1.005 OPS (his best OPS since his 2017 MVP season) in 45 games. For the Yankees, figuring out a way to get Judge and Stanton in the lineup is tricky business, but they’ll need both bats in order to dominate the Red Sox this weekend.

State of the Southpaws

The Yankees and Red Sox both signed impressive left-handed starting pitchers to long-term deals this past offseason, the former landing Max Fried (eight years, $218 million) and the latter acquiring Garrett Crochet (six years, $170 million). Crochet has been terrific all season, but Fried has been in a downward spiral since the beginning of July. 

After starting his Yankees career with a 1.92 ERA over his first 17 starts, Fried has a 6.80 ERA in his last eight outings, or 31 earned runs allowed across his last 41 innings pitched. St. Louis’ Sonny Gray and Tampa Bay’s Shane Baz are the only starting pitchers in the majors who have given up more runs than Fried in that span. That’s a troubling trend for the Yankees, who will continue to rely on the southpaw to try and make up ground in the standings. Nevertheless, Yankees fans will quickly forgive and forget Fried’s rocky summer if he can shut down the Red Sox this weekend.

Crochet, who will take the hill on Saturday, is the ace the Yankees wish they had with Gerrit Cole out for the season due to Tommy John surgery. The 26-year-old has been consistent all year, even as he continues to blow past his career high in innings pitched and stacks up the second-most strikeouts (196) and most wins (13) in MLB. Though Tigers ace Tarik Skubal is favored to take home a second consecutive Cy Young award, Crochet has a legitimate shot at messing with those chances with a strong finish to the season.

New Kids In Town

There have been some new faces in Boston and New York since the last time they met. How will their trade-deadline acquisitions impact the rivalry down the stretch run? It’s worth keeping an eye on the Yankees’ new players: closer David Bednar, reliever Camilo Doval, third baseman Ryan McMahon, and utilityman Amed Rosario, as all four will experience their first clash in the rivalry. 

As for the Red Sox, their new first baseman, Silver Slugger and world champion Nathaniel Lowe, has already made a big impact with his game-tying two-run home run in the eighth inning on Tuesday against the Orioles. Look out for the newcomers with plenty to prove.

Deesha Thosar covers Major League Baseball as a reporter and columnist for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

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