After Tuesday night’s game was postponed, it’s time to officially usher in the new era in the rivalry between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.
The old guys are gone. Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, David Ortiz. Those guys were the last links to when the rivalry was good — especially A-Rod and Big Papi who were right in the middle of the glory days back in the mid 2000’s.
We’re now seeing a youth movement on both teams, with some new high-profile veterans thrown in like Aroldis Chapman and Chris Sale. What we’re seeing is perhaps the re-ignition of the rivalry, because both teams have young players that should be around for years to come.
Think about it. On the Yankees side, you have Aaron Judge, Luis Severino, Jordan Montgomery, Greg Bird and when he comes back, Gary Sanchez. Baby bombers who are just now getting indoctrinated into the greatest rivalry in sports. Oh, and there are more prospects to come later this year.
On the Boston side, there’s Xander Bogaerts, Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Andrew Benintendi to name a few. All of these young players figure to be fixtures in this rivalry for the next decade.
It’s been so long since both the Yankees and Red Sox have been good at the same time. This rivalry needs a serious shot in the arm. With the old guard gone, it’s time for the youngsters to take center stage.
The new era begins tonight.
