And then there were four. The New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians have emerged as the final teams in the American League for the 2024 MLB postseason. As the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, they will now compete in the ALCS for a chance to reach the World Series.
The upcoming series between these two teams is sure to be an exciting one. With players like Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, Giancarlo Stanton, José Ramírez, Steven Kwan, and a strong bullpen on both sides, fans can expect some can’t-miss baseball starting with Game 1 on Monday in New York.
Let’s take a closer look at this matchup.
No. 2 CLEVELAND GUARDIANS vs. No. 1 NEW YORK YANKEES
How they got here:
The Guardians won the highly competitive AL Central division comfortably and secured the No. 2 seed with a first-round bye straight to the ALDS thanks to their impressive regular season performance led by José Ramírez and their dominant bullpen anchored by closer Emmanuel Clase.
The Yankees bounced back from their disappointing previous season with their 21st AL East crown and finished with the best record in the American League this year. Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, and a solid pitching staff played key roles in their success.
Key matchup:
One of Cleveland’s biggest strengths is its bullpen which ranked at or near the top of every statistical category during the regular season.
However, despite some slip-ups from closer Emmanuel Clase in previous games against Detroit Tigers during ALDS series; it doesn’t mean that Yankees will have an easy time facing him.
On New York’s side, Luke Weaver, Clay Holmes, Tommy Kahnle have been performing exceptionally well recently which could help them match up against Cleveland’s bullpen effectively.
How they win:
For Cleveland Guardians: Their strength lies in their bullpen but they also have an advantage on basepaths as well as defense compared to New York Yankees.
They stole significantly more bases than Yankees during regular season while being better at taking extra bases when opportunities arose.
Their lineup has shown more power this year which could come into play especially considering Yankee Stadium being more homer-friendly than other ballparks where Guardians played previously.
For New York Yankees: Their offense has immense potential with players like Stanton leading them but production beyond him has been inconsistent so far this postseason.
However,Yankees’ ability to get on base frequently through walks combined with hitting home runs gives them an advantage over most opponents including Cleveland.
Additionally,Yankees’ pitching staff has performed admirably so far which could help them prevent runs against Guardians who struggle at times offensively.
Series prediction:
Based on previous matchups between these two teams during regular season where Yankees had an edge over Guardians; along with star power and superior starting pitching; it seems likely that New York will come out victorious after what should be a thrilling seven-game series