Red Sox Just Got Locker Room Material From Yankees' Game 1 Starter

The Boston Red Sox will face off against the New York Yankees in the playoffs next week.

Apr 22, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Max Fried (54) pitches against the Boston Red Sox in the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees will kick off a three-game wild-card series on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium. The winner of the series will move on to face the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Division Series.

The Yankees and Red Sox arguably are both World Series contenders, but neither is at full strength. Both clubs are led by their pitching, but their offenses have taken hits due to injuries. The Yankees are missing Aaron Judge and Willson Contreras is up in the air for Boston. On the pitching front, New York's biggest advantage is the likely 2026 AL Cy Young Award winner in Cam Schlittler. But it sounds like he won't be starting Game 1 — and the Red Sox should take notice.

On Sunday, USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported that the Yankees are expected to start Max Fried in Game 1 and then Schlittler in Game 2, so Schlittler could start games No. 2 and No. 5 in a potential ALDS series.

Locker Room Material For Boston

Jun 25, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler (31) looks on as Boston Red Sox third baseman Caleb Durbin (5) hits a two run home run in the fifth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"The Yankees are expected to start Max Fried in Game 1 and Cy Young favorite Cam Schlittler in Game 2 of the wild-card series against the Red Sox, which still allows Schlittler to pitch Games 2 and 5 in a potential ALDS," Nightengale wrote.

That's wild.

The wild-card series is a three-game set. A single wrong decision can sink your hopes. Now, of course, Fried is elite. He has a 2.80 ERA in 20 starts this season. Plus, he's a lefty, which isn't great for Boston's lineup. But he's not the likely Cy Young Award winner. That's Schlittler. He has a 1.95 ERA in 33 starts and led the league with 7.1 wins above replacement. Schlittler is an advantage this season and yet New York is putting future series in front of the wild-card series and that's something Boston should use as motivation. Clearly, the Yankees think they're getting to the ALDS, or else they wouldn't be tinkering with the rotation in this way.

That should be locker room material for a team that absolutely has a good chance of getting through New York in the wild-card round, especially if Judge doesn't play. The Yankees' rotation is great, but the lineup isn't up to many of the 2026 contenders' standards without Judge.

For New York, it is a bold call to push the likely Cy Young Award winner to Game 2 because of the potential future help he could provide. It's a three-game series. What if the Red Sox knock out Fried in Game 1? Then all of a sudden, the momentum swings to Boston and the Yankees would need Schlittler to save their season. A bold call, to say the least, and one the Red Sox should take note of.