‘Yankees have an easy road to the World Series,’ says Alex Rodriguez

The last time the New York Yankees were in the World Series, Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter were manning the left side of the infield for the 2009 superteam that won the franchise’s record 27th title.

Now, both former teammates — reunited as MLB analysts at FOX Sports — are bullish on New York’s chances of making it back to the Fall Classic for the first time in 15 years, as the Yankees begin the 2024 ALCS against Cleveland on Monday.

“You never want to say you have an … easy road to the World Series, but if the Yankees could pick and choose their [playoff] opponents,” Jeter said on FOX Sports’ postgame show after Game 1 of the NLCS. “I think they got the two that they would pick and choose because of their success against the AL Central.”

To Jeter’s point, the Yankees went 4-2 against the Guardians in the regular season. They went 5-2 against their division series opponents, the Kansas City Royals, in the regular season, then dispatched K.C. in four games in the ALDS. 

The Yankees have made four ALCS trips since they last won it all in 2009, but they’ve lost each time — once to the Detroit Tigers and three times to the Houston Astros. Despite that, Rodriguez is optimistic about the team’s chances this year.

“You don’t have to say it, I’ll say it — the Yankees have an easy road to the World Series,” Rodriguez said. “It’s never easy, but this is the clearest path in 20 years.”

While the Yankees have the AL’s best record at 94-68, the Guardians were only two wins behind them at 92-70. 

Cleveland boasts a characteristically underrated pitching staff led by star closer Emmanuel Clase as well as a lengthy lineup headlined by perennial All-Star closer Jose Ramirez. The Guardians dispatched the AL Central rival Detroit in five games in their ALDS series.

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