Back in May, when the Boston Red Sox were still struggling after Alex Cora’s firing, Pedro Martinez expressed confidence in the team reaching the postseason. Four months later, the Red Sox have secured a postseason berth and will play the Wild Card Series against their arch-rivals, the New York Yankees. Speaking about the upcoming games at Yankee Stadium, Martinez described his enthusiasm for the contest.
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“Oh, believe me, I just want to be in the field…I wish that the rivalry was as intense as we had it when we had it. But unfortunately, it’s not the same time. It’s not the same players. It’s not the same era,” said Pedro Martinez, per NESN.
“But I hope that they give us enough reasons to hate each other, whether they beat us or we beat them. But I’m hoping that we beat them, especially now without Judge. I’m hoping that we give them knuckles. I mean, beat them up and then laugh about it. I mean, rub it. That’s what I’m hoping for.”
Martinez played 7 of his 18-season-long MLB career in Boston and embraced the culture, especially the rivalry with the New York Yankees.
Their rivalry peaked during the 2003 ALCS.
During Game 3 at Fenway Park, Martinez threw inside to Yankees batter Karim Garcia, prompting verbal warnings. The situation escalated from there, as Roger Clemens retaliated.
Clemens threw a high-and-inside pitch to Manny Ramirez, which caused Ramirez to spark a bench-clearing brawl. During the clash, Yankees’ bench coach Don Zimmerman charged at Martinez.
The player, in return, pushed Zimmerman down to the ground.
Both later regretted their actions, but the brawl stands as a prime example of how deep the rivalry runs. It has only intensified since Babe Ruth was traded to the Yankees and the beginning of the infamous curse of the Bambino.
Martinez wants the present team to draw inspiration from the historic rivalry. He wants the Red Sox to beat the Bronx Bombers.
In 2026, it was a close contest between the two teams, but the Yankees won the season series 7-6. However, the Red Sox swept them in June during a four-game set, and Martinez wants a repeat, especially with the Yankees’ captain Aaron Judge on the IL.
One week after the Yankees reinstated Judge, the captain landed back in the IL with a strained calf. Whether he will play in the Wild Card Series is uncertain.
Judge was batting .174 with 1 homer and 3 RBI in September after missing 84 games this season because of a stress fracture in his first right rib. Martinez believes Judge’s absence will give the Red Sox an edge over the Yankees.
Historical data shows that several key Yankees hitters experience a drop in overall productivity when Judge is out of the batting order. New York posted a .681 team OPS during previous stretches without their captain. Boston’s pitching staff can avoid having to pitch around or navigate the massive power threat that Judge poses in high-leverage October situations.
The Yankees and Red Sox also faced off in the Wild Card Series last season.
After losing the first game, the Yankees bounced back to win the contest, 2-1. In Game 2, Ben Rice homered to give the Yankees an initial two-run lead, which they quickly conceded. Then, Judge’s RBI single put New York ahead, but Trevor Story tied it. Finally, Austin Wells drove in a run to secure the win.
In Game 3, rookie Cam Schlittler tossed a scoreless, walkless eight-inning game while striking out 12 Red Sox hitters. Schlittler’s brilliant start helped the Yankees shut the Red Sox down 4-0 and advance deeper into the postseason. But Martinez is not losing hope.
“I just feel good about approaching the Yankees this time around. And [the Red Sox] are young, yes. We don’t have the highest expectations about them, but man, for some reason, I just feel so positive,” said Martinez, per MLB.com.
“I just feel so excited that this young group of guys that we have out there are able to do something special. I don’t see anything wrong with these kids, and I don’t see why they shouldn’t give everybody knuckles. Not just the Yankees, but everybody.”
We have already seen how a young team can boost performance after the Chicago White Sox made their historic entrance to the playoffs.
Martinez’s prediction from earlier in the season played out successfully.
Moreover, after the 2003 ALCS loss, the Red Sox came back to defeat the Yankees and win the World Series. So will history repeat itself? We will know in a few weeks.