Former Yankee and Hall of Famer Alex Rodriguez believes the Yankees' path to the World Series is the clearest it's been in 20 years.
As the New York Yankees prepare to face the Cleveland Guardians in Game 1 of the ALCS on Monday night, former Yankee Alex Rodriguez believes the team has an "easy road" to the World Series.
Rodriguez, who was part of the Yankees' 2009 World Series championship team, made his comments during the Fox Sports broadcast of Game 1 of the NLCS between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets.
Yankees Have "Easy Road" to World Series, Says Alex Rodriguez
"You don't have to say it, I'll say it: They have an easy road to the World Series," Rodriguez said. "Look, it's never easy, right? But this is the clearest path in 20 years."
Rodriguez's comments were echoed by his former Yankees teammate, Hall of Famer Derek Jeter.
Yankees Have "Easy Road" to World Series, Says Alex Rodriguez
"You never want to say you have. You never have an easy road to the World Series, but if the Yankees could pick and choose their opponents, I think they got the two that they would pick and choose because the success they've had against the AL Central," Jeter said.
The Yankees have a 4-2 record against the Guardians in the regular season and beat them in five games in the ALDS last year. They also have a strong history against the AL Central, with a 103-69 record against the division since 2020.
Yankees Have "Easy Road" to World Series, Says Alex Rodriguez
The Guardians, however, come into the ALCS with momentum after defeating the Detroit Tigers in the Wild Card Round and the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS. They also have a formidable bullpen and the second-best batting average among the four teams remaining in the postseason (.234).
The Yankees, on the other hand, are hitting at a .220 clip, with AL MVP frontrunner Aaron Judge struggling with just two hits in four games thus far.
Despite their recent struggles, the Yankees remain confident in their chances of reaching the World Series.
"It's never an easy road, but I think we have a good team," Judge said. "We're confident in our abilities, and we're going to go out there and play our best."
The Yankees will face the Guardians in Game 1 of the ALCS on Monday night at Yankee Stadium.
Here are some additional details and context:
* The Yankees have not won the World Series since 2009.
* They have reached the ALCS in each of the past two seasons, but they have not been able to reach the World Series.
* The Guardians are in the ALCS for the second consecutive season.
* They are trying to reach the World Series for the first time since 2016, when they were known as the Indians.
* The ALCS is a best-of-seven series.
* The winner of the ALCS will face the winner of the NLCS in the World Series.
