Hunter Dobbins and His Yankees Rivalry

Hunter Dobbins has a strong dislike for the Yankees.

The rookie right-hander for the Boston Red Sox shared his feelings about the Yankees before their first matchup on Sunday, noting he would rather retire than wear their iconic pinstripes.

“My dad was a dedicated Red Sox fan,” Dobbins mentioned. “And I made a promise: if the Yankees were the last team to offer me a contract, I’d choose retirement instead.”

At 25, Dobbins’s roots run deep as a Red Sox fan. It’s a family thing.

His father, Lance Dobbins, was especially passionate about the team.

“I didn’t really bond with any team growing up, but the Red Sox were always there. I mean, when it came to the Yankees, I just couldn’t see myself as anything other than a Red Sox fan,” he added.

When asked about his least favorite Yankee players, Dobbins chuckled and said it was pretty much everyone on that team.

However, there was one exception.

“Can I say everything except Andy Pettitte?” he joked. “He was a close friend of my dad’s.”

Dobbins has made a notable impression in his debut season.

The Texas native, who joined the Red Sox in April after being selected in the eighth round of the 2021 MLB Draft from Texas Tech, has put up a 4.06 ERA with 37 strikeouts over 44.1 innings across nine games.

As for the ongoing series, Boston and New York split the first two games, with the Yankees winning 9-6 in Game 1 and the Red Sox taking Game 2 with a score of 10-7.

Sunday’s game at Yankee Stadium will mark Dobbins’s first official appearance in this intense rivalry.

He’s eager to make an impact.

“Everyone I’ve been drafted with and played alongside knows how much I dislike the Yankees, so I think Sundays are going to be a blast,” Dobbins stated. “I’m aiming for a personal best with my velocity or something; I just can’t wait for that game.”