With free agency on the horizon, Juan Soto powers the Yankees into the World Series.
CLEVELAND – No one knows Juan Soto better than his father, who had no doubt about the outcome.
In the batter’s box at Progressive Field, with two outs in the 10th inning of Game 5 of the ALCS, Soto faced a crucial moment. The Yankees were one win away from their first World Series in 15 years, locked in another intense battle with the Cleveland Guardians. With the score tied and two runners on, Juan Soto Sr. felt certain his son would rise to the occasion.
After taking the first pitch for a ball, Soto showed his signature shuffle and fouled off four straight pitches, refusing to back down. “He thrives under pressure,” said his father in Spanish. “I knew something big was coming.” That moment came on the first fastball Soto saw from Hunter Gaddis, a 95-mph pitch that he launched for a three-run homer, securing a 5-2 win and the Yankees’ first World Series appearance since 2009. Now, they await the winner of the Mets-Dodgers NLCS.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” Soto said. “Coming through when it matters most.”
The home run was Soto’s 10th postseason blast, tying for second-most before a player’s 26th birthday. As he prepares to turn 26 on Friday, the day of Game 1 of the World Series, Soto joins the ranks of Yankees legends, with his extra-inning homer the second in team history to clinch a postseason series, after Aaron Boone’s famous shot in the 2003 ALCS.
Closer Luke Weaver redeemed himself after a blown save earlier in the series, sealing the win after a two-run deficit. The Guardians had taken the lead off Yankees starter Carlos Rodon, but Giancarlo Stanton tied the game with a two-run homer in the 6th inning. Stanton, named ALCS MVP, has now passed Aaron Judge and Babe Ruth for the third-most postseason home runs in Yankees history.
“It’s special, but this isn’t the trophy I want,” Stanton said, referring to the World Series trophy.
Juan soto
As the team celebrated, chants of “Re-sign Soto!” echoed from the Yankees’ faithful. Soto’s upcoming free agency has been a topic since the Yankees acquired him last December, but after this performance, his value is clear. Stanton and GM Brian Cashman echoed the sentiment, hoping to keep him in pinstripes after his one-year deal.
“We need him to stay,” Stanton said. “Let’s win it all, then bring him back.”
For Soto, every at-bat is a showdown. His father never doubted him: “He was waiting for his pitch. And when he got it, he didn’t miss.”
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