The Cleveland Guardians and New York Yankees have advanced to the 2024 American League Championship Series. The Yankees eliminated the Kansas City Royals in four games, while the Guardians outlasted the Detroit Tigers in a thrilling ALDS. ESPN MLB experts Bradford Doolittle, Jeff Passan, Jesse Rogers, and David Schoenfield analyze each team’s performance and discuss what they need to do to secure a spot in the World Series.
For the Guardians, one surprising development has been Cade Smith’s emergence as a reliable midgame closer. He has provided valuable support bridging the gap to the late innings. However, their actual closer Emmanuel Clase has struggled recently, which is unexpected given his previous dominance. The offense has been carried by players like Steven Kwan, David Fry, and Brayan Rocchio. The rotation of Tanner Bibee and Matthew Boyd also played a crucial role in keeping Detroit at bay.
As for the Yankees, Luke Weaver’s outstanding performances as their closer have been surprising. Since taking over as closer in September, Weaver hasn’t allowed an earned run in 12 appearances and has struck out 29 batters while allowing only nine baserunners. Another surprise is that they were able to win without Aaron Judge making significant contributions offensively.
In terms of continuing their success against each other in the ALCS, both teams face challenges. The Guardians have strong right-handed bullpen options that could pose problems for key Yankee hitters like Aaron Judge. However, getting through the early innings against New York’s lineup will be difficult for Cleveland.
On the other hand, managing a bullpen over a seven-game series is more challenging than shorter series for New York. Their ability to wear down pitchers could be advantageous against Cleveland’s bullpen but relies on consistent starting pitching performances.
The fate of both teams will depend on key players stepping up during this series. For Cleveland, Jose Ramirez or Josh Naylor must perform well offensively if they want to match New York’s offensive firepower led by Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.
Ultimately it remains uncertain which team will prevail in this highly anticipated ALCS matchup between two talented squads vying for a chance at World Series glory.