“You take pride in being a Yankee. You know, when you come here, the No. 1 ultimate goal is winning a championship,” CC Sabathia once said about the Yankees’ culture. This was expected, considering he played for the Yankees and the team’s dominance on the diamond. But how do you feel when the Yankees’ culture is praised by a core Boston Red Sox member? Pedro Martinez just left the Red Sox fans in disbelief by doing it.Well, for the unversed, Martinez was at the peak of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry. Every time he took the mound against the Yankees, it felt like a war. And if there was one thing Red Sox fans knew for sure, it was that Martinez wasn’t afraid to show how much he disliked the New York Yankees. But it appears things do change with time.Fast forward to the present, the Hall of Famer doesn’t mind giving credit where it’s due, even if it’s to the Yankees. “The thing that impresses me the most is how the Yankees present themselves. The culture that they have. It’s a presence unlike anybody else. It must be the pinstripes,” Pedro stirred controversy in the middle of Tuesday night’s Yankees-Royals game.The thing that impresses me the most is how the Yankees presents themselves. The culture that they have. It’s a presence unlike anybody else. It must be the pinstripes. #mlbontbs— Pedro Martinez (@45PedroMartinez) June 10, 2025Well, this remark was enough to leave a lot of fans wondering. For the Red Sox faithful, it is surely shocking that Martinez had such good words for their archrivals. This comes particularly shocking given it’s coming from Martinez, the face of Boston, who took the fight against the Yankees in their 2004 triumphant campaign. Hence, Martinez’s place is always held in high regard among the Red Sox fans. Something that only David Ortiz may come close to.Now think what will the Red Sox fans feel to hear their yesteryear face keep the historic rival ahead of them? It’s like Aaron Judge is saying that the Red Sox is a better team than the Yankees. And that too on national television? It’s more than enough for the Red Sox fans.However, it is surely difficult for us to not write off the statement given by Martinez. Even the biggest Red Sox would agree to that.When a team wins a record 27 World Series titles, it shows their dominance in the league. And what is the secret juice behind it? The Yankees’ winning culture. They present themselves as the part of a legacy and not just playing for contract.Yes you might argue that a few other teams also drill such mindsets on their players. But the Yankees are the forerunner here. They changed the game what it is today.Well, when you get a clubhouse earlier decorated with names like Babe Ruth, Derek Jeter and Yogi Berra, you know you are the part of a history.The Red Sox are taking the fight to the Yankees nowYes, the Yankees have lead the league for years now, but now the Red Sox are fast beating them at their game.World Series titles? The Red Sox got only 9 in contrast of the Yankees’ 27. But when it’s about culture, the Sox got the edges now.For starters, the Yankees enjoyed an unique brading in the league by going strict about their players’ individuality. Talk about their strict no-beard policy, they took a different approach. Here comes the Red Sox now, embracing authenticity and individuality more than ever. What the Yankees tried to achieve all these years, the Sox are doing the same by going opposite. Thus, making the Yankees’ approach feels outdated in the modern era of baseball.Now, let’s talk about the Red Sox’s farm system. A team continuously bringing up some of the top prospects in the league like Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Kristian Campbell. Fans are rallying behind these prospects and making their MLB debut a eventful one. What the Yankees doing here? Surely they also got a few prospects, but largely they are pouring rain to get the established names.Typical Yankees style!Considering the recently-concluded Red Sox-Yankees series, the former’s dominant performance (2-1) showed how they are now trumping the Bronx.So, while the Yankees are still holding the legacy with maximum titles, the ground scenario is changing. And its changing faster than ever. It’s just about time that the Yankees’ player might have such big words for the Red Sox’s culture.Well, it’s too early to conclude.The post Pedro Martinez Reveals What Makes Yankees Better Than Red Sox in Rare Praise for Rivals appeared first on EssentiallySports.