The New York Yankees will send rookie pitcher Cam Schlittler to the mound on Thursday night for the winner-takes-all Game 3 of the wild card series against the Boston Red Sox.
The Red Sox and Yankees rivalry goes way back, and no teams in baseball hate each other as much as Boston and New York.
However, Schlittler grew up in Boston as a Red Sox fan, and his dad is the Needham Police Chief. Now, Schlittler will take the mound on Thursday with the chance to eliminate his childhood team.
Cam Schlittler Boston Ties
Schlittler is a Walpole native and his dad, John Schlittler, is the Needham Police Chief. Walpole is just over 25 miles outside of Boston and Needham is less than 20 miles from Boston.
The Yankees' starter grew up as a Red Sox fan, but that all changed when he became a starting pitcher wearing pinstripes.
The Schlittler family has followed suit, and will all be behind Cam on the mound on Thursday night.
"Obviously growing up, I take pride in being from Boston. When it came to my career, this is where I want to be. They're full Yankee guys now," Schlittler said. "They don't wear as much around Boston, you know just because. When they're here, they're really prideful about it."
Cam Schlittler is from Walpole, Massachusetts. He comes from a Red Sox family.
— The Yankee Report (@YankeeReport_) October 2, 2025
The 24-year old has the chance to help the Yankees eliminate Boston for the first time since the 2003 ALCS.
From starting the season in Double-A to pitching in an elimination game, what a story for… pic.twitter.com/ONq80VJ0DH
The Needham Police Department shared their love for Schlittler on Thursday morning with a Facebook post.
"So now we're stuck between 'Go Sox!' and 'Go... wait, did we just say (I can't) out loud?' Please don't revoke our Massachusetts residency, and please don't tell Wally. We'll be cheering for strikeouts, home runs, and somehow, a Sox win and a perfect game at the same time," the department posted (h/t cbsnews.com).
Schlittler has shined in his rookie year, pitching to a 2.96 ERA across his 14 starts, covering 73 innings and accumulating 84 strikeouts.
Now, the Yankees' starter will have the opportunity to take New York to the ALDS and send Boston home.