Red Sox vs. Yankees 2022 Opening-Day Game Rescheduled Due to Weather

The New York Yankees announced Thursday's Opening Day game against the rival Boston Red Sox has been postponed because of a forecast for inclement weather.

New York and Boston are now scheduled to open their 2022 seasons Friday at 1:05 p.m. ET at Yankee Stadium.

The Weather Channel forecast for the Bronx calls for a high of 51 degrees with a 99 percent chance of rain Thursday. It's far more favorable for Friday, which has a high of 61 degrees and just a 15 percent chance of precipitation.

Add in the extra festivities that come with Opening Day, and it's no surprise the Yanks decided to make an early call on the postponement.

The weather outlook for the rest of the weekend is also promising, so the Yankees and Red Sox should still be able to complete the entire three-game series, which includes nationally televised games on both Saturday and Sunday.

Even though it's early April, the head-to-head battles in the AL East will carry a lot of weight this year.

FanGraphs projects just a seven-win difference between the first-place Toronto Blue Jays (92 wins) and the fourth-place Tampa Bay Rays (85), with the Yankees (91) and Red Sox (87) also involved in what will likely be a tight four-team race.

So, the season-opening series could have an impact on how the standings look come September, especially if either New York or Boston can score an early sweep.

Questions have been raised about the Yankees' lack of roster moves amid a whirlwind stretch after MLB's 99-day lockout ended, but manager Aaron Boone said that doesn't change the goal.

"There's no excuses, no matter what happens," Boone told reporters in March. "We expect to be a great team, and whether we make zero moves from now till Opening Day through the end of the season, the expectations are high in that room, and that won't change."

He added: "In the end, we want to be the last team standing in October."

Meanwhile, the Red Sox's moves were headlined by the addition of longtime Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story, who will shift to second base for Boston with Xander Bogaerts already locked in at short.

All told, the battle for the AL East should once again be among the fiercest in baseball, but the first key matchup will have to wait an extra day.