For much of its history, the Yankees and Red Sox rivalry has been marked by memorable moments and passionate play on the field.
While this weekend’s edition may not feature a face-to-face showdown (a la Alex Rodriguez vs. Jason Varitek in 2004) or a colossal throw down (like what Pedro Martinez did to Don Zimmer a year earlier), these teams figure to be at it hot and heavy again in the not-too-distant future.
“It’s a little dormant right now,” said ESPN analyst and former Yankees postseason hero Aaron Boone, who hit the 2003 ALCS winning home run against the Red Sox in Game 7. “It’s not where it has been at different periods of time, but with these two franchises, often times that can change in a real hurry. Neither of these two teams will be down for too long.”
Boone believes the Yankees are set up for future success, having positioned themselves to be a major player in 2018 free agency while continuing to replenish their farm system and roster with young talent. From the inconsistent-yet-promising rotation of Nathan Eovaldi, Michael Pineda and Luis Severino, to position players such as Greg Bird, Aaron Judge and Jorge Mateo, talent is developing.
“They’ve slowly remade this roster and put themselves into a better position to again be heavy players in the free-agent market and supplement it with what you already have,” Boone said. “I think this is a team that’s a sleeping giant in that in two or three years from now, you’ll see the Yankees be a giant again for an extended period.”
And with it would be a badly needed revitalization to one of the game’s oldest rivalries. For now, though, the teams go into this three-game series in The Bronx headed in different directions.
The Red Sox enter the weekend as the majors’ No. 2 offensive team with a .281 average and 140 runs scored. Meanwhile, the Yankees sit 22nd, hitting just .236, and are next to last with 89 runs.
The Yankees have been anything but an offensive juggernaut with a veteran-laden lineup that has consistently underperformed. Between Chase Headley wielding a wet newspaper as a bat, Mark Teixeira’s 60 at-bat home run drought and a starting rotation with just two pitchers with earned-run averages below 5.00, this is a team sinking fast with few life preservers.
Of the six other times in franchise history the Yankees began a season 8-15, only once did they finish above .500.
Aaron BooneAP“Much of the starting lineup other than [Starlin] Castro has gotten off to a slow start,” Boone said. “Eight of the nine regulars and the starting rotation outside of [Masahiro] Tanaka have underperformed what they’re capable of. Add it all up and through 20-something games you find yourself in the cellar.”
Nevertheless, even during a three-game sweep in Boston last weekend and in its subsequent series in Baltimore, there were signs the Yankees could awaken from the offensive malaise to eventually climb out of the A.L. East basement.
It started with A-Rod — now on the 15-day disabled list — rediscovering his power with three homers in four games, continued with Castro’s consistency at the plate and was highlighted by a turn-back-the-clock outing from CC Sabathia, who fired seven shutout innings for the first time since April 7, 2013.
“They’re better than what they’ve shown, and the question that is left is if they are a true contender and a playoff-caliber team,” Boone said. “You’re talking about older players, so they’re going to have peaks and valleys. Over the course of the year you’re going to have guys like [Carlos] Beltran, Teixeira and [Jacoby] Ellsbury look like the players they were over the course of their career. They’re not done, but those valleys are a little deeper.”
