To many in the baseball-watching community, the Guardians are just another thorny hurdle for the Yankees to overcome as they face the crosstown Mets and fellow juggernaut Dodgers in the long-awaited World Series.
And while they're somewhat of an unknown, they will present a challenge to the Yankees in Game 1 of the ALCS, which begins Monday in the Bronx, especially without former manager Terry Francona in charge. Probably.
Perhaps the biggest player is Jose Ramirez. He has traditionally hit well against the Yankees, but he has struggled against them this season.
Certainly Aaron Boone is aware of Ramirez's success.
“He's a complete player,” Boone said before both teams practiced at the stadium Sunday. “I always end up bumping into people. If I hear the words from someone on the network or whatever again, 'How underrated, underrated he is,' I'll rip my arm off and go to the TV.” I want to throw it. He is not underrated. He is not underrated. He's a great athlete, a Hall of Famer in track and field, and everyone knows that, including everyone sitting here. ”
Cleveland's first-year manager Stephen Vogt agreed.
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“If Jose leaves, there's no one better to go with,” Vogt said. “I think that's the beauty of Jose. He's always within striking distance. When he's at the plate, there's not a single eye that's not glued to him. He's electric.”
Next, Cleveland's bullpen was tested against the Tigers in the ALDS, as the Guardians lost almost any length from their rotation for the series.
Emmanuel Clase is considered one of the best relief corps in the sport, and right-hander Cade Smith said he is firmly up to the challenge in this series.
“This is what we're here for,” said Smith, who posted a 1.91 ERA in 74 games this season. “We want to continue doing what we do. We have been tested many times and each time we have been reinforced to do whatever is asked of us. It’s what we wanted.”
But Vogt said the Guardians will need to use their rotation more in the best-of-seven series than they did in the ALDS, and that starts with veteran Alex Cobb starting Game 1 on Monday.
Among the non-anonymous players in Cleveland's lineup is Josh Naylor. After hitting a home run in Game 4 of the 2022 ALDS, he drew the ire of Yankees fans by doing the Rock the Baby motion while mocking the Yankees and Gerrit Cole. I rounded the base.
Cole said Sunday that he wasn't concerned about Naylor's actions, and although the two have faced off since then, he said the crowd might feel differently.
Vogt said of the Guardians' trip to the Bronx in August. So it's probably the same. ”
And Vogt dismissed the idea that the Yankees are heavy favorites heading into the series.
“We're worried about ourselves,” Vogt said. “We've taken that into every series all year. We can control what we can and we know the Yankees are good. They made us tough plays. . It's a really good team we're going to play. But we're confident in who we are and we can only control ourselves.”
