Red Sox rookie Dobbins: 'I'd retire' before playing for Yankees
Boston Red Sox rookie Hunter Dobbins hasn't thrown a pitch against the New York Yankees yet, but he's already adding some juice to the storied rivalry.
Ahead of his first career start against the Bronx Bombers on Sunday at Yankee Stadium, Dobbins revealed his utter disdain for the Yankees runs deep - to the point that he'd apparently give it all up before ever donning the pinstripes himself.
"My dad was a die-hard Red Sox fan. And I've said it before, that if the Yankees were the last team to give me a contract, I'd retire," Dobbins told Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald.
Dobbins said he followed the Red Sox as a child, and, despite being a pitcher, was a particular fan of former AL MVP Dustin Pedroia. He also admitted to hating every Yankees player except for Andy Pettitte, who he said was a friend of his dad, former minor-league pitcher Lance Dobbins.
The younger Dobbins was drafted by his boyhood team in the eighth round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Texas Tech. Ranked as the Red Sox No. 9 prospect by Baseball America before the season, he made his big-league debut in April. Dobbins owns a 4.06 ERA, 3.39 FIP, and 1.33 WHIP with 37 strikeouts and 10 walks through his first nine appearances (seven starts).
The 25-year-old has already faced the likes of future Hall of Famer Mike Trout and the AL-leading Detroit Tigers during the early stages of his MLB career. However, he's really been looking forward to getting a shot at the Yankees, noting that Sunday's start is "one that I've had circled for a long time."
This weekend's series in the Bronx marks the first time the Yankees and Red Sox have squared off in 2025.