The Cleveland Guardians like to play hard, hit some sac flies and bunts, make a lot of contact, and have some elite pitching.
The New York Yankees can have issues making consistent contact against great pitching, but they have game-changing power.
Both approaches are valid if deployed correctly and if the team has the right personnel.
In the end, the Yanks ended up prevailing in the American League Division Series against the tough Guards.
Predictably, they took advantage of their superior power hitting to advance.
“The @Yankees are the first team in MLB postseason history to win a best-of-5 (or longer) series despite not having more than 6 hits in any game,” OptaSTATS tweeted.
The @Yankees are the first team in MLB postseason history to win a best-of-5 (or longer) series despite not having more than 6 hits in any game.
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) October 18, 2022
Cleveland pitchers were good enough to limit the Yankees to a maximum of six hits in every game, but they weren’t always able to keep the ball in the yard.
The Yankees Hit Nine Home Runs In Five Games
Giancarlo Stanton hit two home runs, Aaron Judge had two as well, and Harrison Bader hit three.
Oswaldo Cabrera and Anthony Rizzo each hit one ball over the fence.
In total, the Yankees hit nine home runs, as opposed to just two doubles and no triples.
Their hitters are not looking for the gaps.
They are not looking to just put the bat on the ball, either: they are looking to do some damage.
It may come at the cost of some contact and batting average, sure, but home runs are the most impactful offensive play in baseball and the Yankees have built a team to make sure they take advantage of Yankee Stadium’s short porch.
Some of their players, however, don’t need a short porch to go yard.
NEXT: Video Shows Yankees Fans Preparing For The ALCS