Yankees' Cam Schlittler Slams Red Sox Fans, Says Wild Card Win Was 'Personal'

New York Yankees rookie Cam Schlittler grew up in Massachusetts rooting for the Boston Red Sox. But on Thursday, he became his hometown team's most prominent tormentor.

Schlittler's eight-inning, scoreless outing was both legendary and surgical. He took apart the Red Sox without a wasted movement, striking out 12 batters while neglecting to allow either a walk or an extra-base hit.

In other words, the 24-year-old pitched like a man possessed. And as he revealed after the game, he had some added motivation to dominate Boston, apart from the rivalry and the fact that it was a win-or-go-home scenario.

Schlittler talks Red Sox fans "line-crossing"

Oct 2, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Cam Schlittler (31) walks in from the bullpen prior to game three of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The war of words between Red Sox and Yankees fans certainly had the potential to escalate this week, but evidently, it spilled over to the players in an unacceptable manner.

After the game, Schlittler said he heard chirping from Red Sox fans that made the game "personal for me," willing him even further to go out and dominate the Yankees' arch-rivals.

"I’m not gonna get into it, but there’s a line and I think they crossed it a little bit. I’m a competitor, and I’m gonna go out there and make sure I shut ‘em down," Schlittler said, per Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News.

"You know Boston fans, that’s just how it is. We’re aggressive back home and we’re gonna try to get under people’s skin. They just picked the wrong guy to do it to and the wrong team to do it to."

While it's unclear whether Schlittler was referencing in-person fans or online trolls, it's clear that some Red Sox fans can't handle the rivalry gracefully, which is a shame, because these two teams are both set up well for the future, and there could be a new golden age of the rivalry on the horizon.

Schlittler has just 15 career starts under his belt now, but he sure looks as though he has the capability to be a problem for the Red Sox for a long, long time now. Not only that, but the Yankees will return Gerrit Cole to a rotation that also includes Max Fried and Carlos Rodón next season.

The Red Sox can only hope that young pitchers like Connelly Early (who pitched better on Thursday than the box scores indicated), Kyle Harrison, and Payton Tolle step up in a similar fashion whenever they face New York moving forward.

More MLB: Red Sox Star Trevor Story Hints At Where He Wants To Play Next Season