The New York Yankees are gearing up for Game 1 of the American League championship series against the Cleveland Guardians. With first pitch set for Monday night, the series was discussed by the Fox Sports crew after Game 1 of the NLCS.
Derek Jeter hinted at the idea that the Yankees, should they reach the World Series, would not have had a very difficult path to get to the Fall Classic. Alex Rodriguez took things one step further and didn't beat around the bush.
"You don't want to say it, I'll say it. The Yankees have had an easy road to the World Series," declared Rodriguez, prompting a chuckle from Jeter.
"You don't have to say it, I'll say it. They have an easy road to the World Series"@AROD talks about the Yankees path to the World Series this year pic.twitter.com/TtIt3ok59E
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 14, 2024
Of course, the Yankees remain four wins away from actually clinching a World Series berth, and the Guardians are coming off their second 92-win season in the last three years. Still, the two Fox analysts didn't seem to give Cleveland much credit when dissecting New York's postseason matchups.
The Yankees advanced to the ALCS after defeating the up and coming Kansas City Royals in the ALDS. They won the series 3–1 after the Royals defeated the Baltimore Orioles in the wild card round.
Although Rodriguez noted that it's "never easy" to reach the World Series, he called the Yankees' 2024 opponents the "clearest path in 20 years."
Game 1 is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EST on Monday, at which point New York, playing in front of their home fans, will look to grab an early series lead. It seems Rodriguez and Jeter certainly expect them to do so.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Alex Rodriguez Boldly Claims Yankees Have Had 'Easy Road' to Reach World Series.
