NEW YORK – It’s been 15 years since baseball’s most storied franchise played in the World Series – an eternity in Yankees terms – yet with four wins over the Guardians, they can return to baseball’s biggest stage.
“You certainly understand that we’re playing for a pennant now,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone, “But in a lot of ways that’s a long way off now.”
First, there’s pressure – but also opportunity. This ALCS offers a chance for the likes of Boone and Aaron Judge to build a legacy of their own here in 2024. As shortstop Anthony Volpe acknowledged at Sunday’s workout, falling short of a title won’t leave anyone around the Yankees satisfied.
“I grew up a fan, and what makes the Yankees the Yankees is winning and winning a World Series,” Volpe said. “For me, that was always from the standard.”
Of course, the Guardians belong on this stage, too, as they showed with timely hits and impressive bullpen work in their ALDS win over the Tigers. A trip to the World Series would give them the chance to end baseball’s longest title drought, a championship-free streak dating back to 1948.
“This is the closest group of guys I’ve ever seen in a clubhouse,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “These are really good players who care about each other.”
If this matchup feels familiar, there’s a reason for that. No combination of American League teams has faced off more often in the post-season (1997, 1998, 2007, 2017, 2020 and 2022), and only the Yankees and Dodgers have opposed one another more often in the playoffs. Starting Monday, the rivalry between two of the American League’s oldest franchises resumes…
Regular season record:
The Yankees won both regular season series against the Guardians, taking two of three in Cleveland in April and two of three in the Bronx in August.
What’s working for the Yankees:
The Yankees are built around Judge and Juan Soto, but it was their pitching that got them through the ALDS. New York’s arms combined for a 2.50 ERA against the Royals, showing that they can win even if their best hitters aren’t dominating. Add to that some big swings from Giancarlo Stanton (1 HR, six hits) and Gleyber Torres (1 HR, three hits) and it’s clear the Yankees have the depth to support a deep run.
With four games set in New York, including the first two, the Yankees will also have the crowd on their side.
“Yankee Stadium is going to be rocking,” Boone said. “It’s going to be an awesome atmosphere.”
What’s working for the Guardians:
Vogt got the most out of his bullpen in the ALDS, pushing his relievers to the limit on the way to a narrow series win. If the Guardians are going to advance further, the Cleveland bullpen will have to play a big role once again.
Offensively, the Guardians are getting big hits from unheralded players like David Fry and Lane Thomas, but Boone doesn’t want to hear third baseman Jose Ramirez grouped in that category anymore.
“If I hear another how under-appreciated, underrated he is from somebody on a network or something, I want to rip my arms off and throw it at the TV,” Boone said. “He’s not under-appreciated. He is not underrated. He’s a great, on track (for) Hall of Fame player, and everybody knows it.”
There’s simply no counterargument, as Ramirez just completed a season in which he hit 39 home runs with 41 stolen bases and an .872 OPS. In doing so, he raised his career wins above replacement total to 52.4 while passing Hall of Famers like Jim Kaat, Ted Simmons and Kirby Puckett on the all-time WAR leaderboard.
Potential Achilles heel for the Yankees:
In their ALDS win over the Royals, the Yankees faced the most pressure they’ve encountered all season.
“The energy was amazing, and the margins felt really small,” Volpe said. “It was really intense. I loved it.”
Yet navigating that pressure isn’t always easy. Judge went two for 13 without a homer. Carlos Rodon started strong before the Royals hit him hard in the fourth inning. To advance to the World Series, the Yankees must manage their emotions under pressure.
For instance, Rodon liked how Gerrit Cole returned to the dugout “like a robot” early in his Game 4 ALDS start, and plans to draw inspiration from that stoic early-game approach when the ALCS begins.
“Gerrit is a good poker player,” Rodon said. “Me, not so much. I need to be better at poker.”
Potential Achilles heel for the Guardians:
Of the 44 innings the Guardians pitched in the ALDS, 25.2 of them came from the bullpen. That ratio worked against a weaker Detroit lineup in a series that included three off days, but that’s not at all sustainable here.
The likes of Emmanuel Clase and Cade Smith will have to be used more carefully, which means more innings for starters like Alex Cobb and Matthew Boyd and more chances for the Yankees’ potent offence. Third time through against Judge and Soto? Not fun for any starting pitcher, and now tougher to avoid for the Guardians.
It’ll all come down to…
Gerrit Cole. As Cole showed in the ALDS, ace starting pitchers can have an outsized impact in a short series. Against the Royals, he pitched 12 of New York’s 36 innings and he’s slated to start Games 2 and 6 this time, which means more high-leverage innings are ahead for the defending AL Cy Young winner. If he’s on, the Yankees should advance.
