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The New York Yankees’ 2024 MLB season campaign has been a hit, which certainly wasn’t expected from the team given how they finished outside the playoffs in 2023. But with a renewed sense of purpose and energy, the Bronx Bombers are back to where they belong, which is at the top.

Recently, the New York Yankees missed two golden opportunities to clinch the AL-East division, something the team hasn’t done since 2022. Regardless, the division glory was only a matter of time, and a key contributor to the latest win, Giancarlo Stanton, oozed confidence in his team’s ability to dominate in the playoffs as well.

Giancarlo Stanton Believes Yankees Will Be The Team To Beat In Playoffs

New York Yankees Twitter
On Thursday night, the New York Yankees clinched the AL East crown in style, defeating the Baltimore Orioles 10-1 in a crucial game. The win marked the culmination of a season-long battle between the two rivals for division supremacy, and the team’s emphatic victory was the perfect way to secure the title. Amid the post-game celebrations, the team knew that their journey was far from over. Giancarlo Stanton, in particular, set the tone by emphasizing that the Yankees should be the team to beat in the playoffs, showing confidence in their postseason chances. “We better be [the team to beat in the playoffs.] That’s the point,” Stanton said during the celebration, highlighting the team’s ambition.

Currently, the New York Yankees are positioned to have home-field advantage in the American League, holding a narrow one-game lead over the Cleveland Guardians with a 93-66 record. However, surprisingly, the Yanks have performed better on the road this season than at home. While they’ve posted a solid 43-35 record at Yankee Stadium, they’ve been even better away from home, boasting a 50-31 record. Throughout the season, the Yankees have proven to be one of MLB’s strongest teams, both in the regular season and now heading into the playoffs. Their offense, led by sluggers like Aaron Judge and Stanton, has been one of the most potent in the league, while their pitching staff, anchored by ace Gerrit Cole, has delivered consistent performances. A strong finish to the regular season gave them the cushion they needed to comfortably claim the AL East crown over Baltimore.

Gerrit Cole Reflects On Dominant Outing Vs Orioles

Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
The onus to steer the New York Yankees to the AL-East division crown fell on starter Gerrit Cole, and the ace didn’t disappoint as usual. He pitched 6.2 scoreless innings before the offense barreled 10 runs to secure a 10-1 gigantic victory. Undoubtedly, Cole was ecstatic and relieved to finally cross the finish line after a year-long break.

Gerrit Cole added that the September and October period of the season excites him as a player and that the AL-East division was long overdue. “This is what you want as a player. The division is right there for the taking. You’ve got to go out there and get it,” Cole said during lively clubhouse celebrations on Thursday.