Beginning on August 28, the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees will meet for the most important four games of their seasons to this point. The rivals sit in the secord and first American League Wild Card spots, respectively, with Boston closing in on New York and New York closing in on first place as September looms.
The Rivals' final series could determine which team finishes the season with home field advantage for the Wild Card series, in which the clubs seem destined to meet again. The Yankees have shuffled their rotation to put their best foot forward against a gutsy Sox team by moving Cam Schlittler to start in Friday's series opener. The sophomore pitcher and Massachusetts native has posted a 2.16 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 193 strikeouts and 37 walks over 158 innings.
The Red Sox may also get a weapon of their own into their final regular season matchup in the Bronx. Roman Anthony on August 25 told reporters he's feeling well enough to be activated on Friday to face New York. That would open the door for the first of many Anthony vs. Schlittler faceoffs.
Anthony and Schlittler are the best of the young talent on their respective teams and head-to-head matchups three to four times per season could make the games more contentious and more interesting. Red Sox fans, of course, hope that the eventual Anthony-Schlittler battles become the new version of the Rafael Devers-Gerrit Cole dynamic, of which Red Sox Nation was robbed by the Devers trade.
Roman Anthony could be activated to Red Sox roster on Friday, giving him a chance to face Cam Schlittler for the first time
Schlittler debuted in 2025 but did't face the Red Sox until the postseason, after Anthony injured his oblique. Anthony batted .309/.389/.509 from the start of August to the end of his season, so Boston fans like to imagine he would've dominated Schlittler if he were healthy.
During his rehab assignment, Anthony has played well enough to justify his activation. He's clocked five hits, including a double and two home runs, six RBI, seven strikeouts and three walks over six games between Double-A and Triple-A.
If Anthony has the same or similar level of impact he did when he was last promoted during a Red Sox playoff race, he'll be a crucial weapon on the way to higher Wild Card standing. He didn't travel with the team to New York on August 27, but his activation for the start of the series is still on the table, leaving Red Sox Nation hopeful for the announcement for which they've waited months — it'll be even sweeter if Anthony gets to face Schlittler in his first game back.
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