The New York Yankees‘ Wild Card Series matchup is officially set. On Tuesday night, the Boston Red Sox will be in town to begin a best-of-three series at Yankee Stadium.
Both teams have similar strengths, and that’s their pitching, which could turn this series into a chess match when it comes to scoring runs.
However, it seems the Yankees may have the ultimate X-factor in determining what could truly decide the winner and loser of this latest chapter in the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry.
This X-Factor Could Win Series for Yankees
While it’s obviously going to be a collective effort, New York has an anchor that really no other team has this season outside of the Milwaukee Brewers with Jacob Misiorowski.
That’s a true Cy Young-level ace in second-year righty Cam Schlittler.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone has not decided when Schlittler will make his start, but whether he pitches in Game 1, Game 2, or possibly Game 3 if it gets that far, New York needs to win when he’s on the mound. With his success against Boston, he could be the reason the Yankees take this series when it’s all said and done.
“I expect the Yankees to win this series,” Anthony McCarron of SNY TV said. “Look, the Red Sox are the third-best team in the American League and the Yankees are the second-best team in the American League, and I think there’s a gap between them. It may take three games because this is a rivalry.
“But the one the Yankees have that tilts this series to me is Cam Schlittler. The Massachusetts kid who absolutely dominates the Red Sox. He crushed them in the postseason last year. He’s going to collect the Cy Young Award later this year… that gives them one game. They’re at home, they play well at home… I think this is the Yankees series to lose.”
.@AnthonyMcCarron and @TyDButler join @nikilattarulo to preview the Red Sox-Yankees wild card series:
➡️ @Honda pic.twitter.com/zb7MC9Ps57
— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) September 26, 2026
Schlittler’s Numbers Against Red Sox
This season, Schlittler has made 33 starts and posted a 14-6 record with a 1.95 ERA and a league-best 7.0 WAR. He has also recorded 239 strikeouts across 193.2 innings pitched.
As for his head-to-head numbers against Boston, Schlittler has made five career starts and, as McCarron mentioned, has truly dominated the Red Sox.
He holds a 3-1 record and a 0.56 ERA against Boston across 32.2 innings pitched, with 39 strikeouts and just two earned runs allowed.
This Yankees X-Factor Could Decide the Winner of Wild Card Series Against Red Sox