Like the New York Yankees As Cleveland prepares to host the Guardians for the first game of the ALCS on Monday night, one former Yankee believes the team has an “easy path” to the World Series.
Alex Rodriguez knows the feeling of winning the World Series in New York. In fact, the last time the Yankees won the trophy was in 2009, when Rodriguez was part of a loaded Yankees team that defeated the Philadelphia Phillies to win the franchise trophy. MLB – Best 27th title.
During the Fox Sports panel after Game 1 of the NLCS, in which the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Mets and scored the first goal of the series, Rodriguez's Yankees teammate, Hall of Famer Derek Jeter, talked about the possibility of the Yankees getting there. World series.
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Fox Sports broadcasters, from left: Kevin Burkhardt, Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz and Derek Jeter before Game 5 between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres of the NLDS. (Photo: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagon)
“You never want to say yes. You never have an easy path to the World Series, but if the Yankees can pick their opponents, I think they'll pick two because they've been successful. Against the AL Central,” Jeter explained.
Rodriguez was very decisive in his thoughts on the title of the series.
“You don't have to say it, I'll say it: They have an easy path to the World Series,” Rodriguez replied.
“Look, it's never easy, is it? But this is the clearest path in 20 years.”
Some Yankees fans may scoff at Rodriguez's comments, while Guardians fans may expect their team to use something like this as “bulletin board material” or fuel to prove Rodriguez wrong in this best-of-three fight.
New York Mayor Eric Adams roasted both Yankees for wearing matching logos on their hats.
However, there is some basis for Rodriguez's comments about the brightest path for the Yankees over the past two decades.
It's no secret that New York has been trying to get to the World Series for a long time, though it hasn't succeeded since Rodriguez and Jeter hoisted the trophy at Yankee Stadium in 2009. ALCS In recent years, however, they failed to defeat the Houston Astros in 2017, 2019 and 2022.
Well, Yankees fans cheered when the Detroit Tigers defeated the Astros in the wild-card round because they knew they wouldn't have to see them on their hopeful trip to the Fall Classic.
Former New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez was introduced during an Old Timers Day ceremony at Yankee Stadium. (Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports)
Then, while waiting for the matchup between the Kansas City Royals and the Baltimore Orioles, Yankees fans admit they would rather see the former since the latter has plagued them in the AL East schedule. In the 2024 regular season, the Orioles defeated the Yankees 8-5.
So when the Royals defeated the Orioles, Yankees fans were once again happy with the result. New York ultimately completed the ALDS victory at Coffman Stadium in Kansas City, defeating the Royals in Game 4 to advance.
Meanwhile, the Guardians brought a ton of momentum to the Bronx after Lane Thomas' big hit in Game 5 of the ALDS, in which Lane Thomas knocked off AL Cy Young leader Tarik Skubal in what ultimately proved to be the fatal shot in the Tigers' Cinderella postseason story.
The Guardian recently saw the Yankees in the postseason, as New York defeated them in five games in the 2022 ALDS. And even though the Yankees are the top seed, Cleveland will enter this series with a strong record and the second-best batting average of the four teams left in the postseason (.234). .
The Yankees are hitting .220, and AL MVP Aaron Judge has just two hits in four games so far. However, the Yankees have lost 4-2 to the Guardians this season and will look to repeat those four wins to secure a spot in the elusive series despite the talent and payroll.
Alex Rodriguez before the game between New York and Los Angeles Dodgers at Yankee Stadium. (Vincent Carchietta – USA Today Sports)
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It's never an easy road, but Rodriguez is absolutely confident that this is the Yankees' best chance since donning pinstripes.
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