Don’t you think the Yankees–Red Sox rivalry is the heartbeat of MLB? From the days of David Ortiz launching clutch home runs to Derek Jeter’s iconic flip plays, this clash has defined generations. And, the intensity hasn’t faded one bit. But in the day and age of social media, taking a hardline stance against a rival can be a gamble. Yet, a Red Sox rookie just did exactly that, taking an unapologetic stance against the Yankees.

Hunter Dobbins, a 6-foot-2 right-hander coming from Worcester, is not a familiar face just yet. He is set to make his first career start against the Yankees this weekend, having made his big-league debut against the Cardinals back in April! With a 3.08 ERA across 25 starts between Double-A Portland and Worcester, the 25-year-old offers a dependable command and poise on the mound.

But while his stat line speaks of promise, the buzz around him isn’t just about baseball. Just before his first start against the Yanks, Dobbins stirred the pot with comments that might not sit well with the Yankees fans.

“If the Yankees were the last team to give me a contract, I’d retire,” he said. Now, that’s a brutal take by the rookie against the pinstripes!

It’s clear Dobbins isn’t shy about where his loyalties lie. And his sentiment isn’t born out of headlines or hype, but it runs in the family. “My father was a die-hard Red Sox fan,” he revealed. So, living under the same roof, the pitcher steered clear of any other team affiliations. He rooted for the Red Sox and rooted against the Yankees!

And now he has just stirred the old saying ‘if you are from a Red Sox camp, you ought to hate the Yankees or vice versa.‘ Dobbins made his statement loud and clear. But hey, imagine the amount of heat it will generate once he starts for the first time against the Bronx on Sunday!

While Marcelo Mayer felt the boos by the Yankees fans were “music” to ears on his debut, it would be interesting to see how Dobbins takes it, if he faces the boos as well.

From the Red Sox’s perspective, Dobbins is a renewed hope. The young man features a diverse pitch mix, including a splitter, sweeper, slider, and curveball. What’s more interesting is, he refers to his splitter as a splinker. That’s a hybrid between a splitter and a sinker, the same that Pirates rookie ace Paul Skenes has been using to dominate hitters.

The Red Sox’s pitching needs fresh blood

The Red Sox’s pitching woes have been one of the defining storylines of their 2025 season. With a team ERA of 4.06, they currently rank 20th in MLB. You would agree that’s a concerning position for a club with postseason ambitions. The number not only reflects a struggling rotation but also underscores how deeply the pitching staff has underperformed as a whole.

For instance, on June 2, Richard Fitts imploded against the Angels. He lasted just one inning and gave up six runs on four hits. Enough for the Red Sox to send him back to Triple-A immediately after. The next name, Lucas Giolito, also failed to settle things down. He got pulled after 1⅔ innings while allowing seven runs on eight hits. Now, these back-to-back meltdowns painted a grim picture of the Red Sox’s rotation depth.

Hence, unless the rotation gets healthy and the bullpen sharpens up, the Red Sox may find themselves on the outside of the October dreams. Here comes a hope in the name of Hunter Dobbins! He allowed just one run over five innings behind starter Richard Fitts in the series opener against the Angels.

No wonder the Boston fans are hopeful. Why wouldn’t they be?