AL East
New York Yankees
Yankee Stadium · New York
The New York Yankees are a Major League Baseball team in the American League East division.
AL East Rivalry
Yankees–Red Sox
Baseball's fiercest century-old feud
The rivalry between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, two American League East franchises separated by roughly 200 miles and more than a century of animosity. It pits the sport's most decorated dynasty against a passionate fan base that long defined itself by heartbreak and, eventually, redemption.
The Rivalry
The feud traces to the dawn of the American League, but it caught fire after the 1919 season when Boston owner Harry Frazee sold Babe Ruth to New York. The Yankees soon became baseball's greatest dynasty while the Red Sox went 86 years without a title, a drought fans dubbed the "Curse of the Bambino." For decades the rivalry was defined by Boston's near-misses, including the 1978 tiebreaker decided by Bucky Dent's home run and Aaron Boone's walk-off in the 2003 ALCS Game 7. It runs hottest because the two clubs share a division, compete every season for the same prize, and carry the cultural weight of New York versus Boston. The balance finally shifted in 2004, when the Red Sox staged an unprecedented comeback and ended their championship wait.
What's at Stake
As division rivals, the Yankees and Red Sox meet many times each year, and those games often shape the AL East race and playoff seeding. The matchup carries the broader cultural charge of New York against Boston, two proud Northeastern cities whose fans treat the standings as a regional referendum. With both franchises among the sport's wealthiest and most ambitious, every series brings pennant-race tension and national television attention.
Famous Moments
- 1919 — Boston's sale of Babe Ruth to New York set the rivalry's defining storyline in motion.
- 1978 — Bucky Dent's three-run homer powered the Yankees past Boston in a one-game playoff for the AL East.
- 2003 — Aaron Boone's 11th-inning home run in Game 7 of the ALCS sent the Yankees to the World Series.
- 2004 — The Red Sox became the only MLB team to erase a 3-0 series deficit, beating the Yankees in the ALCS en route to ending their 86-year title drought.
- 2018 — The Red Sox eliminated the Yankees in the ALDS en route to a championship.
The Two Teams
Plan the Trip
A Yankees-Red Sox series belongs on any baseball bucket list. Boston's Fenway Park, opened in 1912, is the majors' oldest ballpark, with the famed Green Monster looming in left field. New York's Yankee Stadium in the Bronx delivers big-city spectacle and Monument Park's tribute to the game's legends. Either trip pairs an iconic ballpark with a great American city, and a head-to-head series doubles the intensity.
Frequently Asked Questions: Yankees–Red Sox
The two teams first met in 1903. The rivalry between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, two American League East franchises separated by roughly 200 miles and more than a century of animosity. It pits the sport's most decorated dynasty against a passionate fan base that long defined itself by heartbreak and, eventually, redemption.
As division rivals, the Yankees and Red Sox meet many times each year, and those games often shape the AL East race and playoff seeding. The matchup carries the broader cultural charge of New York against Boston, two proud Northeastern cities whose fans treat the standings as a regional referendum. With both franchises among the sport's wealthiest and most ambitious, every series brings pennant-race tension and national television attention.
Yes — as AL East division rivals they face off many times across the 2026 MLB season.
New York Yankees host at Yankee Stadium in New York; Boston Red Sox play at Fenway Park in Boston.
