The New York Yankees didn’t just win Game 1 of the Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox Tuesday night, they straight-up obliterated them, a 9-0 shutout in their house. And get this: the two guys who dealt the most damage? Ben Rice and Cam Schlittler, both born and raised right there in Massachusetts. Talk about a plot twist, right? This dominant win kicks off the three-game first-round playoff set, and man, what a way to start.
Hometown Hitters Turn Nemeses
It’s wild to think about, but the Yankees found their ultimate Red Sox killers right in Red Sox country. Cam Schlittler, from Walpole, and Ben Rice, from Cohasset, were both drafted by New York out of New England colleges. Rice was a 12th-round pick out of Dartmouth in 2021, and Schlittler went in the seventh round from Northeastern in 2022. Their journeys to the big leagues were scouted and sealed by Matt Hyde, the Yankees’ Northeast scout.
Rice couldn’t be more pumped after his performance. “I’ll remember getting a W versus the Red Sox,” he said after going 4 for 5 with two dingers. “There’s nothing better than that. I’ll remember Cam going out there and just being lights out, like he always is. I’ll remember the atmosphere. It was just an awesome night. Great way to kick off the series.” Schlittler gave a shout-out to his scout: “We have a lot of conversations with Matty Hyde, and I know he’s proud of us. And again, we wouldn’t be here without him. Just to have the confidence of being mid-round guys, having to work a little bit harder to get up here and embrace that together, it’s special.” It truly is a special bond, pushing each other to shine.
From Mid-Round Picks to Playoff Monsters
Rice’s path was unique, for sure. With the Ivy League canceling the 2020 baseball season in March and the entire 2021 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he only played 30 games in three years at Dartmouth. He had to show off his skills in summer leagues and organized workouts. But man, did he break out. His minor league season in 2023 was huge, then he leveled up in 2024, and again going into 2025. With Aaron Judge sidelined for most of the season, Rice stepped up as New York’s offensive leader, crushing 41 home runs during the regular season. He ranked third among qualified hitters in slugging percentage (.534) and fourth in OPS (.897). His 67 home runs over the last two seasons are the 13th most in baseball. And in Game 1? He went 4 for 5 with two homers and tied a franchise postseason record with six RBI. Unbelievable!
Schlittler’s climb to the big leagues was just as insane. He was sitting at 90-91 mph during his draft year in college, then ticked up to 93-94 mph in the minors from 2023-24. But then, his fastball just exploded: 95-96 mph in Double-A to start 2025, 96-97 mph in Triple-A in the middle of 2025, and now he’s throwing 98-99 mph in the big leagues. And he showed it all off in Game 1, tossing 6 ⅓ shutout innings. Schlittler clearly loves having Rice as a teammate too. “We love it. Mid-round guys, Ben has excelled very well in the organization,” he said. “He was someone I knew while I was in the minors of how well he was excelling. And again, it’s great to be teammates with him and have that comfortability being from home. He’s been dominant all season. It’s very exciting to watch.”
The Yankees got contributions from other homegrown players, but Rice and Schlittler were absolutely the stars. One more win sends New York straight to the ALDS. This series just kicked off, but if Game 1 is any indication, these “mid-round guys” from New England are ready to keep that momentum rolling.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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