There are rarely any sports rivalries, as best known as?the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. For centuries, players and fans have immersed themselves in the rich lore surrounding this feud. While seeing a switch is unusual, a young MLB prospect has made it seem easy.

If there is one thing to be said about sports fans, it’s their passion. The Yankees’ fanbase has a life of its own that receives praise and objection in equal measure. One of their strongest critics is, of course, the Red Sox fanbase. And the recent news of a player changing allegiances has some seeing red.

Kyle Teel, a lifelong Yankees fan, joins the Boston Red Sox

Growing up in New Jersey, Kyle Teel was a Yankees fan. In a now-deleted Instagram post, he can be seen posing with a friend outside Yankee Stadium in pinstripes, with the caption,?“Let’s go Yankees.”?

But some eagle-eyed fans kept a screenshot of the post and shared it on social media as soon as the news was announced – Kyle Teel is in the first-round pick for Boston at no. 14. To many, it’s sacrilegious. To others, it’s a simple switch. The youngster addressed his baseball interests in a Zoom Call with MLB.?

?Growing up, it?s kind of funny, because I was a Yankees fan, but now I bleed red. I?m excited to get going,? he said simply.

Teel is the first prospect catcher that Boston fans have been excited about since Jason Varitek. Not only was the 21-year-old an athletic presence in high school as a multi-sport athlete, but Teel was also a strong presence at the University of Virginia.?

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He led the team to their first College World Series in six years as a freshman in 2021, when he exploded onto the UVA scene with a team-high .335 batting average. Teel’s stats no doubt speak for themselves, but it doesn’t mean fans won’t troll him for his change of loyalty.

MLB fans can’t help but mock the hilarious situation

Baseball fans don’t take disrespect standing down, and when Teel revealed his love for the Bronx Bombers, they let him know exactly how they felt about his comments. One fan was irked at the line,?“Now I bleed red.”

Some brutally mocked the Yankees and their ongoing World Series drought.

https://twitter.com/redsoxstats/status/1678218193867882499?s=20

Some praised his answer, while some want him gone.

It’s not uncommon for fans to witness players switch allegiances between franchises in their careers, but when it involves the Yankees and the Red Sox, the rivalry makes it a deeply personal matter.

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