The American League Wild Card Series is officially set, and if you’re a Red Sox fan, you’re probably already sweating about one thing: the Yankees’ rotation. New York’s top three, Cam Schlittler, Max Fried, and Gerrit Cole, are seriously formidable. They’re one of the few groups in baseball that can hang with the Red Sox’s best starters, and that’s a problem when Boston’s offense has been dragging its feet all September.
Yankees Pitching and Red Sox’s Cold Bats
Let’s be real, the pitching staff up in the Bronx is just nasty. You’ve got guys like Schlittler and Fried, plus the “2026 version” of Gerrit Cole, who’s still bringing it. Everyone’s talking about how good these guys are, and it makes sense. The Red Sox are already struggling to get consistent hits, so facing New York’s aces right out of the gate is a tall order. We’re talking about a lineup that hasn’t been bunching enough hits, or hitting for enough power, and they’re definitely not knocking in enough men with runners in scoring position. You know what that means against a staff this good, right? It could be a long series if those bats stay cold.
What’s wild is that the Yankees are rolling out the soon-to-be AL Cy Young winner in Game 1. That’s a gut punch for any team, especially in a short Wild Card series where every single at-bat feels like a must-win situation. The Red Sox do have a comparable pitching staff, at least when you look at their top three starters lined up for this Wild Card, but the Yankees’ starters are just flat-out formidable.
The Bullpen and the Bombs
But wait, there’s another angle that’s got fans on edge: home runs. The Red Sox pitching staff actually gave up the fewest homers in baseball this year. That’s awesome, right? Not so fast, because the Yankees lineup absolutely crushed the most homers in baseball this year. So, while Boston’s starters might hold strong, if the offense can’t score, one “back-breaking dong” in the seventh could totally decide a game. It’s a huge mismatch in power.
Then there’s the Red Sox bullpen. Without Tyron Guerrero, this thing feels like a ticking time bomb. Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman are the only arms Jacob Roy truly trusts back there. Erik Miller and Brayan Bello? Jacob Roy thinks they’re “meltdowns waiting to happen.” And Garrett Crochet is a total mystery, with the rest of the guys just “not that good.” If the starters can’t go deep into games, holding any kind of lead is going to be incredibly difficult. Oh, and Jarren Duran, that “much-maligned outfielder,” is gonna be forced into the lineup against right-handers because of Mickey Gasper’s injury and Andruw Monasterio’s struggles. Yikes.
This Wild Card Series is gonna be a grind, especially with the stakes so high right out of the gate at Yankee Stadium. Can Boston’s starters go deep enough to avoid that dicey bullpen, or will the Yankees’ power bats make them pay? And can the Red Sox offense wake up before it’s too late? We’re about to find out, and it feels like every pitch will be absolutely critical.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Over the Monster.
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