Kiner-Falefa's 'Surprising' Yankees Dig Draws Disinterested Response from Boone

Former Yankee IKF says Blue Jays thought they had a better matchup against New York than Boston in ALDS

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

In his first comments as a member of the Red Sox, Isiah Kiner-Falefa revealed that the Blue Jays felt they had a better matchup against the Yankees than the Red Sox in last year's ALDS. Yankees manager Aaron Boone responded with a disinterested tone, saying he was 'little surprised' to hear IKF's comments but that 'whatever' since 'you got to play who you play'.

Why it matters

Kiner-Falefa's comments provide an interesting behind-the-scenes look at the Yankees-Blue Jays rivalry, with the Blue Jays seemingly preferring to face the Yankees over the Red Sox in the playoffs. Boone's dismissive response suggests he doesn't want to engage in a war of words with his former player.

The details

Kiner-Falefa, who only started one game for the Blue Jays in the ALDS loss to the Yankees, said the Blue Jays were 'a lot happier' to face the Yankees than the Red Sox, who they had lost two out of three games to late in the regular season. Boone responded by saying he was 'little surprising' to hear IKF's comments, but that 'whatever' since the Yankees had to play who they played.

  • The Blue Jays faced the Yankees in the 2022 ALDS after the Yankees beat the Red Sox in the AL Wild Card round.

The players

Aaron Boone

The manager of the New York Yankees.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa

A former player for the Yankees who is now with the Boston Red Sox.

Sonny Gray

A new member of the Red Sox who has leaned into the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry in his first comments.

Willson Contreras

Another new Red Sox player who has embraced the rivalry with the Yankees.

Garrett Crochet

A pitcher for the Blue Jays who 'diced up' the Yankees in the ALDS, according to Kiner-Falefa.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We thought it was a better matchup for us the other way [to face the Yankees]. We were watching that [series], and we were watching [Garrett] Crochet just dice up.”

— Isiah Kiner-Falefa (The Athletic)

“I guess he was right. Little surprising to hear IKF say that, but whatever. That's fine.”

— Aaron Boone, Yankees Manager (New York Post)

The takeaway

Kiner-Falefa's comments provide an interesting glimpse into the Yankees-Blue Jays rivalry, with the Blue Jays seemingly preferring to face the Yankees over the Red Sox in the playoffs. Boone's dismissive response suggests he doesn't want to engage in a war of words with his former player, focusing instead on the games themselves.