The Red Sox and Yankees are almost back at it, and Tuesday brings a fresh shot at settling the score. Boston gets its chance in the Bronx after spending a full year with the memory of Cam Schlittler shutting them down in a winner-take-all Game 3 at Yankee Stadium. This time, the rematch comes in the same best-of-three setup, which makes the matchup easy to slice up one spot at a time.
At catcher, the edge goes to Boston. Even if Rutschman hasn’t been All-Star caliber since the trade, he’s light years better offensively than Wells. And after homering on Sunday, he could be carrying a little momentum into New York.
First base tilts to the Yankees, but only because of the way the matchup can play out. If the Red Sox are facing Goldschmidt, that means a lefty is on the mound and one or two of the Yankees’ best bats are out of the lineup. Even so, the nod goes to the slugger who’s carried Boston all year, even while playing hurt.
At second base, Chisholm gets the call. There are three players in this group who can all help their team steal a game, but only one brings the two-way talent to take over a contest. Even with injury concerns and a down year, he gets the edge.
Shortstop belongs to the Yankees, and this one is more about current form than future projections. If this were a debate about next season, it would be a layup for New York. It’s tighter now because of Lombard’s inexperience, but he still earns the nod because he’s been hitting the cover off the ball lately.
Third base goes to Boston. Caballero deserves credit for the way he can affect a game with speed and defense, but Durbin can do those things too, and he’s the steadier offensive player.
In left field, the Yankees have the advantage. Roman Anthony might have a case for Boston, but Bellinger’s All-Star status and comfort hitting at Yankee Stadium make this one straightforward.
Center field is another Boston spot, with one big caveat: Rafaela may be dealing with a banged-up leg. Still, he’s so reliable defensively that it’s tough to go with Jones, the high-upside rookie who also comes with plenty of strikeouts.
Right field also goes to Boston. Abreu made a real statement this year by hitting lefties better than righties, which makes it all the more striking that he was benched in the first two games of this series last year for Nate Eaton.
Then comes the star power, and that’s where New York pulls ahead. It’s almost absurd to say “it doesn’t matter if Aaron Judge is involved,” but the clear advantage still belongs to the Yankees.
On the mound, the Red Sox deserve credit for going out and getting Gray and Suárez for games like this. Boston is glad it did after what those two turned in this year. But on paper, that still falls short of Schlittler, the presumptive Cy Young winner, and two veterans with nine All-Star selections between them.
The bullpen comparison is tight enough to make Boston feel good about its group. Go look up what Headrick is doing this year in the Bronx. Even so, Chapman and Whitlock are the kind of arms you trust when everything is on the line, and that could be true for both of them multiple times this week.
Final tally: Red Sox 6, Yankees 5 (not indicative of a series prediction)
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Red Sox Have 3 Under The Radar October Roster Decisions
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Gonzalez can help against left-handed pitching and give the club some cover at first base, while Gamboa has shown the kind of groundball-heavy relief work that can fit in a short series. Jones has also looked strong versus lefties since joining the Red Sox, which makes him another potentially useful piece if Boston wants to lean into matchups. The catch, of course, is that postseason benches are rarely roomy enough for everyone, and the Red Sox still have to decide which of these under-the-radar fits best into the October plan. [Read more 🡒]
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Tanner Houcks Red Sox Playoff Spot Suddenly Looks Far Less Safe
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The bigger question now is whether Houck has run out of time to make his case. Boston is expected to carry a postseason pitching group built around 12 other arms, and recent performance plus health concerns have put Houck on the outside of that projection for the moment. For a club trying to line up its best possible staff for a short October run, every outing and every roster decision carries extra weight, and Houcks path back into the picture suddenly looks much less secure. [Read more 🡒]