Isiah Kiner-Falefa Says Blue Jays Were 'Happy' to Face Yankees Over Red Sox in 2025 MLB Playoffs

Isiah Kiner-Falefa, one of the most recent additions to the Boston Red Sox, was "happy" he and the Toronto Blue Jays didn't have to face his new team in the postseason last year.

Kiner-Falefa revealed Tuesday that he and the Blue Jays were rooting for a matchup against the New York Yankees rather than the Red Sox in the ALDS.

"I don't know if people were expecting Boston to get in last year. But I know in Toronto we were happy they lost because we weren't ready for (Garrett) Crochet and all those guys," Kiner-Falefa said, via Lauren Campbell of MassLive.com (h/t SNY's Alex Smith).

Kiner-Falefa said he thought the Yankees were a "better matchup" than Boston.

"We thought it was a better matchup for us the other way," he said. "We were watching Crochet just dice up. ... We definitely felt like it was a tougher matchup for us. So, once we saw the other team (win), we were a lot happier. It was definitely a topic."

Now Kiner-Falefa no longer has to fear the Red Sox. He agreed to a one-year deal with the team last week and will look to help Boston have a deep run like the Blue Jays had in 2025.