Yankees Rivalry

Lore & Background

The rivalry is often a heated subject of conversation, especially in the home region of both teams, the Northeastern United States. From 1995 through 2013, every MLB postseason featured one or both teams, but that streak ended in 2006, 2012, and 2014 when neither team made the playoffs. The Red Sox and the Yankees have faced each other three times in the ALCS, with the Yankees winning twice, in 1999 and 2003, and the Red Sox winning in 2004. The two teams have also met once in the American League Division Series (ALDS), in 2018, with Boston winning 3–1, a series which included a 16–1 Red Sox win in Game 3 at Yankee Stadium, the largest margin of defeat in a postseason game in the Yankees' history. The Red Sox beat the Yankees in the 2021 American League Wild Card Game. In addition, the teams have twice met in the last regular-season series to decide the AL pennant, in 1904 (when the Red Sox, then known as the Americans, won) and 1949 (when the Yankees won). The Yankees and the Red Sox finished tied for first in 1978; subsequently, the Yankees won a high-profile tie-breaker game for the division title. The first-place tie came after the Red Sox had a 14-game lead over the Yankees more than halfway through the season. Similarly, in the 2004 ALCS, the Yankees ultimately lost a best-of-seven series after leading 3–0. The Red Sox comeback was the only time in American baseball history that a team has come back from a 3–0 deficit to win a series. The Red Sox went on to win the World Series, ending the 86-year-old curse.

In Their Own Story

The air inside Fenway Park hung heavy with humidity and history as the bottom of the ninth inning approached. The scoreboard flickered, showing a one-run deficit against the Yankees. In the stands, a sea of red clashed with the few scattered navy blue caps of the visiting fans, their chants of 'New York! New York!' cutting through the roar of the home crowd. A veteran fan gripped his worn-out cap, whispering the names of ghosts from 1978 and 2004 alike. On that night, the silence broke with a crack of the bat, echoing a century of hope finally answered.

Reader's Guide

This match-up is regarded by some sports journalists as the greatest rivalry in sports. Games between the two teams often generate considerable interest and receive extensive media coverage, including being broadcast on national television. National carriers of Major League Baseball coverage, including Fox/FS1, ESPN, and MLB Network carry most of the games in the rivalry across the nation, regardless of team standings or playoff implications. Yankees–Red Sox games are some of the most-watched MLB games each season. Outside of baseball, the rivalry has led to violence between fans, along with attention from politicians and other athletes.

Did You Know?

• The 1919 sale of Babe Ruth from the Red Sox to the Yankees led to the superstition known as the 'Curse of the Bambino'.
• The Red Sox broke the curse by winning the 2004 World Series after defeating the Yankees in the ALCS from a 3–0 deficit.
• The Red Sox and Yankees have met three times in the ALCS (1999, 2003, 2004) and once in the ALDS (2018).
• The 2018 ALDS included a 16–1 Red Sox win in Game 3, the largest margin of defeat in a postseason game in Yankees history.
• The teams met in the 2021 AL Wild Card Game, with the Red Sox winning.