The New York Yankees haven’t won a World Series title since 1999. Yes, let that sink in a little bit.
Those in the borough and around the world that support this team are starved for another championship. Being the most prolific team in the sport historically speaking, there are some real expectations associated with playing for/representing the franchise. After years of underachieving, this might be the best chance for the Yankees to break through and capture that elusive title.
On paper, this team probably has the best rotation of any team in the field remaining. Aaron Judge is the best player on the planet not named Shohei Ohtani. Up and down the lineup, you’ve got guys who can hit for average and power, not to mention a few with some legitimate speed. Throw in a good bullpen, and you’re looking at a very complete team.
The road to the World Series couldn’t have set up any better for the Yankees. Houston was unexpectedly knocked out in the Wild Card round by the Detroit Tigers. Boston and Tampa Bay — the archrival and recent nemesis of the Yankees, respectively — did not make the playoffs. Instead, New York bested a plucky Kansas City team with one elite player (Bobby Witt Jr.), an aging superstar (Salvador Perez), and a group of overachievers.
Now, the only club standing in the way of a Megaseries versus the Los Angeles Dodgers/a Subway Series versus the New York Mets is the AL Central Division winners, the Cleveland Guardians.
Cleveland is similar to Kansas City, except for an elevated version. The Guardians also have a superstar player — and perhaps the most underrated player in the league in Jose Ramirez. Unlike Witt Jr., Ramirez has experience in these situations where he can carry his ballclub if he goes on a heater. Cleveland also boasts several high-contact guys, including Steven Kwan, Bryan Rocchio, Josh Naylor, and the slugging Lane Thomas. Unequivocally, compared to the Royals, this is a far more difficult lineup to navigate.
While Cleveland’s rotation depth is somewhat shaky behind Tanner Bibee, a potentially rusty Alex Cobb, and Matthew Boyd, the bullpen is arguably the best in baseball. It’s led by the top closer in the game, Emmanuel Clase and his filthy 100-mile-per-hour cutter that would make Mariano Rivera blush. Cade Smith, Tim Herrin, and Hunter Gaddis all can provide efficiency in high-leverage situations. Even if Cleveland’s rotation falters, there’s enough in the pen to shorten a game and mitigate a four/five-inning performance by the starters.
On paper, the Yankees appear to be a more talented team. At the very least, they’re a roster with more ‘big names’ on it. Judge withstanding, Giancarlo Stanton had a great ALDS versus Kansas City in which he hit .375 with one massive homer. Juan Soto is one of the more gifted players in the game, and midseason acquisition Jazz Chisholm has given this team some real juice. Despite getting out of the ALCS in four games, the team did not hit well. Collectively, it mustered a .220 average with only three HRs in four games. Judge’s postseason woes have continued to plague him. He hit only .154 versus the Royals — striking out five times in 13 at-bats.
As noted earlier, the Yankees rotation is no joke. Carlos Rodon will take the hill in Game 1, followed by ace Gerrit Cole, Clarke Schmidt, and Luis Gil. The bullpen was quite good in the Royals series, led by Tommy Kahnle, Clay Holmes, and Luke Weaver. All three allowed zero runs and only five hits in a combined 12.1 innings pitched.
While Cleveland is a formidable opponent, all the pressure is on the Yankees to advance. Judge will have to find his form quickly, as the lineup can tend to lull without him operating at full powers. Cleveland’s bullpen is good enough to give this team some real issues. The same can be said for its lineup, where the Guardians will win with speed and situational baseball rather than slugging homers.
With the vast majority of prognosticators picking the Yankees to win this series, we’ll see if the ballclub can avoid the pitfalls of being a favorite, and ultimately make the World Series.
