The MLB postseason is upon us at last, and filling in one of the later spots on the schedule is the oldest and most notable rivalry in all of baseball, the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees from The Bronx.
The Yankees lineup has been as stellar as a lineup with four MVPs can be, and their first challenge in the postseason comes in the form of flame-throwing righty Garrett Crochet, who came to the Red Sox in a trade in December last year, and has been arguably the best pitcher in the league this season.
And if anyone is aware of it, it's Yankees manager Aaron Boone.
"He's Been Phenomenal"
Ahead of the Game 1 matchup in the Wild Card series, Boone took the time to give his admiration for the Red Sox ace, and everything that gives him the advantage on the bump.
“He’s turned in for them,” Boone said Monday. “He’s clearly become their ace and their horse. And from what I understand, been phenomenal behind the scenes, too. “With also having great stuff, there’s really good deception in there that allows that stuff to really play and then the ability to put the ball where he wants. The ability to first and foremost, be a strike thrower with that stuff, with that deception, puts him in a pretty good place.”
Crochet was pretty good at throwing strikes in 2025, leading the entire major leagues with 255 strikeouts while boasting a 2.59 ERA and an 18-5 record.
The two-time All-Star's 205.1 innings pitched were also good enough for the most in the American League.
As if this wasn't a tough enough matchup for the Bronx Bombers, Crochet was an absolute nightmare for the team in his first season with Boston, striking out 39 batters in four starts, including 11 on the reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge.
The first pitch for the Tuesday night game between the two rivals is set for 6:08 PM EST.