Andrew’s All Good and No Bad (Game 5, ALCS)

Andrew’s All Good and No Bad

By Andrew Hefner

October 20, 2024

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I have no words. Last night Juan Soto's blast gave millions of Yankees fans something they haven’t experienced in 15 years… an American League Pennant.

Brian Cashman did his job. He brought the best young talent in baseball to New York and now the Yanks are headed to the World Series. I wasn’t even old enough to remember the last time this all happened, but everyone knows how it ended last time, and hopefully, we are heading towards that again. The Yankees are four wins from being baseball's best team!

Let’s take a look for the final time this ALCS at all of the good from Game 5.

(All of) The Good

I’m not even sure how I’m supposed to react to moments like this but when Juan Soto hit that home run, I quite literally fell on the floor. Soto is a generational talent and based on how Brian Cashman reacted to his home run in the top of the 10th, I think that there may be a big check from the Yankees in Soto’s hands soon. He also had two doubles last night and, most fittingly, he caught the final out to send the Yanks to their first World Series since 2009.

Giancarlo Stanton, of course, the MVP of the ALCS, again put on a show in the final game, mashing yet another home run into the Cleveland night. I said during one of the ALDS recaps that someone needed to step up other than Soto and Judge, and well… Stanton did what was necessary. In the postseason, he is batting .300 with 4 home runs, a stolen base(!), 5 walks, 2 doubles, and 5 runs scored. He has shown up and in every single article I predict that he will keep it up, and every time he has. He was the ALCS MVP.

Luke Weaver had a stunning outing last night, completing the last two innings to send the Yanks to the World Series. He only gave up one hit through those two innings and proved once again that he is going to be the Yankees’ closer for the foreseeable future.

Aaron Boone’s managing was on point during Game 5, consistently making good choices, while also getting into it a bit with the umpire, as Boone normally does. The bullpen choices were near perfect as well, featuring a strong lineup of Mark Leiter, Tim Hill, Jake Cousins as the setup, and finally, Luke Weaver. All of them had amazing outings and I was particularly happy with Cousins and Weaver being placed back to back to end it out just as I had imagined back at the beginning of October. The pinch hitters and runners were all also well thought through and executed. I think that Boone has seemed to be much more of a confident manager than in previous years.

Anthony Volpe was amazing this whole series and being the hometown kid, he was undoubtedly the most excited to get to experience this. He finally was put on full display to the nation and showed that he can hang with guys like Judge and Soto, while also doing his best Jeter impression. I feel nothing but joy for him and I hope that soon he gets to experience something even better.

Gerrit Cole will be ready for Game 1 on Friday after the Yanks take a long break. The Mets and the Dodgers are still going at it so the Yanks are yet to know who exactly their foe will be, but either way, it’s going to be a battle.

Congrats to the 2024 Yankees, everyone in the front office, and to all of the fans! For the first time in 15 years, your New York Yankees are the American League Champions!