Add The New York Post on Google A four-game series against the Red Sox this weekend stands to be pivotal for the Yankees.
For Cam Schlittler, however, every game against the Red Sox is notable.
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That’s just the way it’ll always be for the American League Cy Young Award favorite, who grew up roughly 30 miles from Fenway Park and has taken on the role as Yankees villain in a near yearlong feud with Boston fans following his historic performance against the club in their AL wild-card series last season.
The bad blood, of course, stems from fans hurling death threats and trolling Schlitter and his family on social media in the leadup to the postseason clash.
The 25-year-old, who will start Friday to open the series, is used to it at this point.
“It’s never stopped,” Schlitter said Thursday of Red Sox fans harassing him online ahead of the Yankees series finale against the Astros. “Whether it’s comments on my posts or my messages or Twitter or whatever it is, or messaging people in my family, it’s always been there. It hasn’t stopped at all. I don’t expect it to stop. I feel like I probably created that issue.
“I could have easily just thrown last year and not said anything, but it didn’t feel right to not say anything.”
Playoff position will be on the line as the rivalry is reignited in The Bronx this weekend, with the Red Sox sitting 2 ½ games behind the Yankees in the AL wild-card standings.
The last time these teams met, when the Red Sox swept the series in June, Boston was 15 ½ games back. Since then, they have been one of the hottest teams in baseball. They completely turned their season around, rattling off multiple lengthy winning streaks to close the gap with the rest of the league.
New York Yankees starting pitcher Cam Schlittler (31) pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect After Ryan Weathers landed on the 15-day injured list with a low-grade left forearm flexor strain, the Yankees also pushed back Schlittler’s scheduled start to line up with the Boston series.
Asked if that was by design or happenstance, Schlitter sounded like he was all for taking the game.
“I was prepared to throw [Thursday against Houston]. Obviously, I pushed that back,” he said. “There’s some decisions to be made. I think the way it pans out over the weekend, we’re in a good spot. I think it was better for Elmer [Rodríguez] to throw [Wednesday], and he obviously pitched very well, so he put us in a good spot. That’s really all you can ask for out of a rookie. I think it lines up.
New York Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler reacts while pitching against the Boston Red Sox in the first inning at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, Thursday, April 23, 2026. JASON SZENES/ NY POST “We got our guys going against Boston, and it’s an important series. I was fine with it. I think I was going to have a seven-day [gap between starts] no matter what after the Cali trip, anyway, so I guess it’s good to just get that out of the way.”
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he foresaw just how good the Red Sox were during their last series in Boston, where the Yanks were outscored by a combined 21-9 through the four games.
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Having their breakout star pitcher on the mound with a chip on his shoulder, the Yankees hope to keep a hot Red Sox team at bay.
The last time Schlittler faced his hometown team, he gave up five hits over five innings while allowing four runs — but none earned as the Yankees committed four errors on the way to a loss. While that series isn’t in the back of his mind much, Schlittler always has some extra juice for the Red Sox.
“I think it’s just easier [to have that competitive spirit]. Just being from there and the way the fans treated me last year and then into this year, I feel like it’s just easier to get going a little bit,” Schlitter said. “I still respect all the guys over there and everything, but I feel like just being from there makes it easier to kind of be a little more competitive. I don’t really have to search for it as much. It’s just kind of right there in front of me.”
