With the New York Yankees hosting the Boston Red Sox, the AL Wild Card Series is set to be a rematch of last year. Cam Schlittler will be starting for the pinstripes in Game 1. Now, speaking to reporters before the 2026 Wild Card Series kicks off, the 25-year-old revealed how his hometown team, the Red Sox, never showed much interest in signing him.
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In his first full season in the big leagues, Schlittler posted a stellar 1.95 ERA and a 14-6 record in 193.2 innings. His numbers are a testament to the talent other teams, especially the Red Sox, overlooked in his college baseball years. But the Yankees didn’t, and they are reaping those benefits.
“Wouldn’t say there was really much of a scout there. Again, the connections I had in college with the Scouts, the Red Sox really weren’t one of those,” Cam Schlittler told the reporters, per SNY Yankees. “Matty Hyde was kind of my guy, and he had a lot of faith in me, and he’s the reason why I’m a Yankee. So he’s someone I credit a lot, and someone I still talk to a lot to this day, and we have a great connection.”
Born in Walpole, Massachusetts, just 40 miles away from Fenway Park, Cam Schlittler grew up as a Boston Red Sox fan. Despite playing college baseball at Northeastern University, Schlittler revealed that the Red Sox, his childhood favorite team, did not scout him properly. Schlittler wasn’t considered a high-ranking prospect at the time.
However, the Yankees’ scout Matt Hyde saw the hidden potential in him, causing the Yankees to pick him in the seventh round of the 2022 MLB Draft. Schlittler excelled rapidly within the Yankees system, getting the big-league call-up in 2025.
Once Schlittler debuted, he did not need much time to turn into Boston’s public enemy number one. Game 3 of the 2025 AL Wild Card Series was enough to spark the animosity between Schlittler and the Red Sox fans. Schlittler’s 12-strikeout, 8-inning gem helped the Yankees win 4-0 and eliminate the Boston Red Sox from the postseason.
The hostility only increased from there.
Even the pitcher’s family was not spared. Schlittler received threats from the Red Sox fans at his home, too. In July 2026, Schlittler kept the rivalry alive by speaking about Boston’s early-season slump in retaliation for Jarred Carrabis’ criticism directed at him.
“They’re not really in a position to be talking, considering how the standings are. Whatever they want to say, it’s just kind of useless,” Cam Schlittler told ChrisKirschner. “It just goes in one ear and out the other.”
At the time, the Red Sox were rebounding. In July, they held third place in the AL East, having won nine games in a row. However, they were still seven games behind the Yankees. This season, the Yankees hold a 7-6 record against the Boston Red Sox, having won the season series.
Despite the Yankees and Red Sox having a better record, the Houston Astros (81-81) hold the third seed in the American League standings. This is because the Astros won the AL West, causing the Yankees and the Red Sox to clash in the Wild Card Series. The Red Sox will visit Yankee Stadium for a rematch of last year. The winner of the three-game set will advance to the AL division series.
Schlittler recorded 4 starts against the Red Sox this year. He recorded a 0.74 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 24.1 innings. Schlittler is firmly in the race to win the AL Cy Young Award this year, and the Red Sox must watch out. While Schlittler will start Game 1 for the Yankees, southpaw Payton Tolle (3.03 ERA) will take the mound for the Red Sox. Max Fried (2.80 ERA) and Gerrit Cole (3.61 ERA) will face off against Sonny Gray (2.72 ERA) and Ranger Suarez (3.22 ERA), respectively, in the following matchups.