Yankees should approach newfound Aroldis Chapman-Red Sox nightmare with vengeance

The New York Yankees have been routinely dominated by the hated Boston Red Sox this season, but a recent development might just be the catalyst that the Bombers need to turn the tables.

Aroldis Chapman's turnaround has been one of the most unexpected stories of the 2025 season. The 37-year-old former Yankee leads all qualified relievers in ERA with a 1.04 mark this year, after looking like his career was dead, being forced to play for the pitiful Pittsburgh Pirates last season.

Now Boston is doubling down, agreeing to a contract extension with the volatile lefty that will keep him in Boston through 2026, and possibly 2027, depending on whether he hits the qualifiers for his vesting option.

Boston's newfound faith in Chapman presents the Yankees with a golden opportunity. As every Yankee fan knows full well, Chapman is prone to meltdowns at big moments. Sure, he may have always wanted to be a member of the Red Sox, but his six saves in 18 appearances and 5.71 ERA as a member of the Yankees pitching at Fenway Park speak more to his incredible ability to fold under pressure than it does to his hatred of all things pinstripes.

The Yankees have a golden opportunity to get revenge on Chapman and the Red Sox following his extension

Talent has never been the issue with Chapman, whose gifted left arm has fired off some of the fastest pitches the baseball world has ever seen. Yet, despite his otherworldly talent, Chapman has routinely come up short when it matters most.

Who can forget the IL stint due to the infected tattoo? That was probably the turning point for the Yankees with Chapman, who, for the last two years of his Yankee tenure, forgot what the strike zone was, simultaneously walking the ballpark with BB/9 numbers of 6.07 and 6.94 in 2021 and 2022, while also serving up a steady diet of meatballs, posting some of the highest home run rates of his career.

Despite these struggles, the entitled Chapman continued to put himself above the team, throwing a tantrum after being demoted from the closer role and abandoning his team, which earned him a banishment from the playoff roster.

With the Red Sox hitching their wagons to Chapman for the foreseeable future, New York has a golden opportunity to prove to their rival that they've made a grave mistake. Winners of seven straight, the Yankees have reclaimed second place in the AL East from the Red Sox, and now stand just two games back of the Blue Jays for first place in the division.

With just three games remaining between the two clubs — the last series kicks off on September 12 at Fenway Park — the Yankees will get the chance to prove to Boston that their commitment to Chapman was a mistake. Of course, the club will have to prove that they can beat good teams the same way that they can dominate the bad ones, but they know full well that if they get the opportunity to face Chapman in a critical moment, they can make him implode.

Stepping up and dominating the Red Sox while embarrassing their former closer would not only be cathartic, but it could be the turning point that might really lock the club in for a fruitful October run. The Yankees have the talent, and they should have a thirst for revenge. Now, they just have to go out there and get it done.