Inspite of Aaron Judge failing to translates his regular season success into postseason, the New York Yankees managed to advance from the AL Division Series to AL Championship series. The team will clash with Cleveland Guardians next in a best of seven game series starting from Monday.
Having said that, just because the New York Yankees dodged a bullet in the ALDS doesn’t mean the road to success in the ALCS will be easy. To ensure positive results against a tough Guardians lineup, the Bronx Bombers will need as many as three impactful players to regain form and emerge as breakout stars.
Clay Holmes, Stanton, and Volpe In Spotlight For ALCS
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone made some strategic decisions in the Division Series against the Royals that raised eyebrows. Despite having a 15-man roster of position players, Boone relied heavily on his regular starters, leaving several bench players, including Jasson Dominguez, Trent Grisham, Jose Trevino, and Ben Rice, without playing time. However, looking ahead to the ALCS, Boone is likely to shuffle the roster, with Anthony Rizzo potentially returning from injury and Nestor Cortes (elbow) possibly in the mix. Boone’s confidence in his top performers paid off, especially for three key players who had pivotal roles in the Royals series. Clay Holmes found redemption, showcasing his elite form with five shutout innings. He allowed just one walk, reminding everyone why his sinker was so effective.
On the other hand, Giancarlo Stanton was another standout, proving his postseason prowess once again. Stanton went 6-for-16 with three extra-base hits, including a critical eighth-inning home run in Game 3. His .987 postseason OPS ranks behind only Yankees legends Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Reggie Jackson. He took care of offensive production, especially at the time when stars like Aaron Judge and Juan Soto couldn’t step up on the big stage. Besides Holmes and Stanton, Anthony Volpe also shone, outplaying Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. Volpe’s offense improved, as he showed discipline with four walks and just one strikeout in 12 at-bats despite hitting into bad luck with several hard-hit outs. For a shortstop playing the first playoffs of his major league career, Volpe did an excellent job. Hence, this trio’s redemption run will have to continue for the New York Yankees to advance to the World Series.
Volpe Ready To Make History With Yankees
Young shortstop Anthony Volpe, in his first postseason with the New York Yankees, is well aware of the high expectations that come with wearing the pinstripes. As a lifelong fan of the team, Volpe understood early on that winning, especially a World Series title, is the standard in The Bronx.
Drafted in 2019, the shortstop has experienced the organization’s first-class culture firsthand, all built around their pursuit of championships. Now, as part of a core group of homegrown players, Volpe is eager to help the Yanks return to the World Series, a feat they haven’t achieved since 2009. “What makes the Yankees the Yankees is winning and winning a World Series,” Volpe said.
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