The Biggest Challenge Guardians Face Against Yankees In ALCS

The Cleveland Guardians pitching staff must plan diligent for the New York Yankees lineup.

Aug 20, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Judge (99) celebrates after his solo home run during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians' matchup with the New York Yankees in the ALCS promises to be a hard-fought series from the first pitch to the last.

Cleveland's biggest challenge in this series is how to gameplan against New York's power-hitting lineup. Specifically, Aaron Judge and Juan Soto present unique challenges at the top of the lineup. However, they aren't the only home run threats in the lineup. New York also has Giancarlo Stanton, Alex Verdugo, and Gleyber Torres, among others, who can hit one out of the park.

New York finished the regular season with the most home runs in MLB (133) and the best OPS (.762) in the American League. The Guardians' pitchers can't let these power stats be what beat them in this series.

Aug 22, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; Cleveland Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio (4) gets a force out at second base on New York Yankees third baseman Oswaldo Cabrera (95) and throws to first to complete a double play during the third inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images / John Jones-Imagn Images

During his Sunday media availability, Stephen Vogt touched on what the team must do against this lineup to limit the home run threat.

"Just got to make pitches. This is a really good lineup, really good team. We know. We've seen them. They've done it to us," said Vogt. "They hit the ball to the yard against us. We just have to make pitches. Our game planning is always really good, and we just have to execute."

Even Cleveland designated hitter David Fry identified the power-hitting duo at the top of New York's lineup as a potential problem for the Guardians.

"They're a tough team. Obviously, they've got the two big guys in Judge and Soto. They have a deep roster, really good pitching staff, some veteran starters who have been around a little bit. It will be a really fun series. They're a good team, and we're excited for it," exclaimed Fry.

New York had a team .257/.371/.481 slash line with a .852 against Guardians pitching during the regular season. If Cleveland can't figure out how to limit the Yankees' power, they'll quickly find themselves fighting from behind.