3 Major Keys to Success For Guardians In ALCS vs Yankees

The Cleveland Guardians have a tough task ahead of themselves in the ALCS against the New York Yankees.

Jun 19, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor (22) celebrates with third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) after hitting a home run during the fifth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians have defied all odds this season, making it all the way to the ALCS where they will face the New York Yankees.

This will mark the fourth time the Guardians have seen the Yankees in the playoffs since 2017, with New York winning each of the first three meetings.

Can the Guardians emerge victorious this time?

Here are three keys to success for Cleveland versus the Bronx Bombers.

Run, run, run

The Guardians ranked fifth in the majors in stolen bases this season, which could pay major dividends against a Yankees ballclub that has difficulty throwing out runners.

New York catchers Austin Wells and Jose Trevino both struggle against base stealers, with neither backstop possessing a particularly strong arm or quick release.

Jose Ramirez and Andres Gimenez in particular can wreak havoc on the basepaths, and Steven Kwan is no slouch, as well.

It will be important for Cleveland to take advantage of the Yankees in this regard.

Big boppers need to hit

Neither Ramirez nor Josh Naylor were particularly effective in the ALDS against the Detroit Tigers, with Ramirez batting .188 and Naylor failing to hit a home run.

The two sluggers combined to go 7-for-36 with one homer and four RBI. That worked against the light-hitting Tigers, but it's not exactly a recipe for success against the Yankees.

Ramirez actually doesn't have the best postseason track record, as he owns a lifetime .236/.299/.357 slash line in the playoffs. That isn't going to cut it here.

Make no mistake: the Guardians will need both Ramirez and Naylor to be solid, if not great, in order to topple New York and advance to the World Series.

Be very careful with Giancarlo Stanton

For all of the talk about Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, it's actually Giancarlo Stanton who is actually the most fearsome Yankees hitter when the calendar flips to October.

Stanton owns a lifetime .987 OPS in the playoffs and is one of the most prolific power hitters in MLB postseason history. Only Babe Ruth averaged more home runs per playoff at-bat than Stanton.

He is also coming off of a brilliant series against the Kansas City Royals where he slashed .375/.444/.688 with a critical long ball and four RBI.

The former MVP has been batting fifth, and the bottom of New York's order is not particularly scary. Aaron Boone may end up moving Stanton into the cleanup role (where Wells has been serving), but regardless, no one behind Stanton is all that menacing.

For that reason, Cleveland should be very prudent with Stanton. That doesn't mean the Guardians should intentionally walk him every single time, but they would be foolish to consistently give him good pitches to hit.