Nobody was talking about Giancarlo Stanton going into the 2024 ALCS. He'd spent seven years as a Yankee with an absurd contract, absurd power, and an absurd injury history -- the kind of résumé that makes you simultaneously appreciate the talent and brace for the next IL stint. But sometimes the baseball gods have a script you didn't ask for, and in October 2024, they decided it was Stanton's turn to write the ending.
Four home runs. Seven RBI. ALCS MVP. The man made all four of his hits home runs in a five-game series. Didn't bother with singles.
The New York Yankees beat the Cleveland Guardians four games to one and went to the World Series for the first time since 2009. Fifteen years. A generation of fans who barely remembered the dynasty -- the one with Derek Jeter and Mo and four titles in five years -- had waited their whole lives for a night like this.
Rodón Opens the Door
Carlos Rodón hadn't been great in the ALDS, but Game 1 of the ALCS was a different man. Six innings, two runs, nine strikeouts, and 25 swings-and-misses -- the most by a Yankees pitcher in a postseason game since Statcast started tracking in 2008. He was throwing his sinker and slider with authority, and the Guardians were swinging through both. Cleveland's relievers helped out by throwing five wild pitches and walking seven batters. (Always nice to get a little charity from the other dugout.)
Juan Soto hit his first postseason home run in pinstripes in the third inning -- a solo home run off a 2-1 sinker that he pulled to right-center with that relaxed, almost nonchalant swing of his. Giancarlo Stanton added a solo shot in the seventh. Yankees 5, Guardians 2. The tone was set.
Cleveland Makes It Interesting
The Guardians weren't going to just lie down. They had José Ramírez, who'd finished the regular season at .279/.335/.537 with 39 home runs and 41 stolen bases -- one HR short of the 40-40 club, one of the best offensive seasons in baseball. And in Game 3 back at Progressive Field, they showed why they'd won 92 games.
Matthew Boyd threw two-hit ball through five innings. Then the back end of the game turned into a home run derby for the record books -- four separate two-out, game-tying or go-ahead homers in the eighth inning or later, what the broadcast crews called a first in MLB history, including Jhonkensy Noel's two-run blast in the ninth to tie it, and David Fry's walk-off shot in the tenth. Guardians 7, Yankees 5. Series 2-1. Cleveland had life.
Stanton had homered in that game too, giving the Yankees what looked like the lead. He wouldn't be the last word that night -- but his moment was coming.
Stanton Makes His Case
Game 4 at Progressive Field: Stanton's three-run homer in the sixth was the dagger in an 8-6 win. The Guardians got back within one in the seventh -- Ramírez and Josh Naylor hit back-to-back RBI doubles and it got uncomfortable for a minute -- but the Yankees held. One win away.
| Series Result | Yankees 4, Guardians 1 |
| ALCS MVP | Giancarlo Stanton (4 HR, 7 RBI, 1.222 OPS) |
| Stanton (series) | 4-for-18, 4 HR, 7 RBI, 5 R -- all 4 hits were home runs |
| Soto (series) | .368 (7-for-19), 3 HR, 4 BB, 3 K |
| Rodón Game 1 | 6 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 9 K -- 25 SwStrk (Statcast era Yankee record) |
| Game 1 (Oct 14, Yankee Stadium) | Yankees 5-2 |
| Game 2 (Oct 15, Yankee Stadium) | Yankees 6-3 |
| Game 3 (Oct 17, Progressive Field) | Guardians 7-5 (10 inn.) |
| Game 4 (Oct 18, Progressive Field) | Yankees 8-6 |
| Game 5 (Oct 19, Progressive Field) | Yankees 5-2 (10 inn.) |
The Night It Ended
Game 5. Tied 2-2 heading into the tenth, Stanton having already gone deep off Tanner Bibee in the sixth with a 446-foot bomb to tie it. Classic Stanton -- the kind of swing where the ball makes a slightly different sound off the bat, and everyone in the park knows before it lands.
In the tenth, Soto came up with two runners on and Hunter Gaddis on the mound. It was a seven-pitch at-bat: he fell behind 1-2, fouled off three straight pitches, refused to give an inch, and then absolutely crushed the seventh pitch into right-center. Three-run homer. Pandemonium. Three unearned runs, technically -- Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio had botched a flip that should have ended the inning -- but nobody cared about the scorecard notation. The Yankees were going to the World Series.
Final: Yankees 5, Guardians 2. The first extra-inning, series-clinching home run by a Yankee since Aaron Boone did it in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS against Boston. Different era, same cathartic feeling.
Soto, in his first year in pinstripes after the trade that shook the offseason, had delivered the pennant-winner. Stanton, seven years removed from the trade that brought him here, had delivered the ALCS MVP. Aaron Judge had shaken off a cold first five postseason games with a Game 2 homer that started his engine.
The 15-year wait was over. The Yankees were going back to the World Series -- their 41st American League pennant, and the one that felt like it cost the most to earn.
Rodón Dominates Game 1
Rodón throws 6 innings of 2-run ball with 9 strikeouts as the Yankees take Game 1 at Yankee Stadium 5-2. Soto hits his first postseason HR as a Yankee; Stanton adds a solo shot.
Yankees Take 2-0 Series Lead
Cole starts Game 2, survives a bases-loaded jam in the 4th, and Aaron Judge breaks his postseason slump with a home run. Yankees win 6-3.
Cleveland Gets One Back (Walk-Off)
The Guardians win Game 3 in 10 innings, 7-5, on David Fry's walk-off homer after Jhonkensy Noel tied it in the 9th. The game features four two-out game-tying or go-ahead homers in the 8th inning or later -- what the broadcast crews called a first in MLB history.
Stanton's 3-Run Shot Seals Game 4
Stanton's 3-run HR in the 6th inning is the key blow in an 8-6 Yankees win. The Yankees take a 3-1 series lead and stand one win from the pennant.
Stanton Ties It, Soto Wins It
Stanton's 446-foot 2-run HR off Bibee ties Game 5 in the 6th. In the 10th, Soto hits a 3-run HR off Gaddis after a 7-pitch battle. Yankees clinch the AL pennant 5-2 in 10 innings. Stanton named ALCS MVP.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2024 ALCS?
The New York Yankees beat the Cleveland Guardians four games to one. The series ran from October 14-19, 2024, with Games 1-2 in New York and Games 3-5 in Cleveland. The Yankees advanced to the 2024 World Series, their first appearance since 2009.
Who was the 2024 ALCS MVP?
Giancarlo Stanton. He hit four home runs in five games -- and those were his only four hits. All four of his hits were home runs, giving him a 1.222 OPS and 7 RBI in the series. He had homered in Games 1, 3, 4, and 5.
How did the Yankees clinch the 2024 ALCS?
In Game 5, Stanton hit a 2-run homer in the 6th to tie it, and then Juan Soto hit a 3-run shot off Hunter Gaddis in the 10th inning to give the Yankees a 5-2 lead. It was the first extra-inning series-clinching home run for the Yankees since Aaron Boone's walk-off in 2003 ALCS Game 7.
When was the Yankees' last World Series before 2024?
The Yankees' last World Series before 2024 was in 2009, when they beat the Philadelphia Phillies in six games to win their 27th championship. The 2024 ALCS win was their first pennant in 15 years.
What did Juan Soto do in the 2024 ALCS?
Soto batted .368 (7-for-19) with 3 home runs, 4 walks, and 3 strikeouts. His series highlight was a 3-run homer off Hunter Gaddis in the 10th inning of Game 5 -- a 7-pitch at-bat where he fell behind 1-2 and fouled off four pitches before going deep to clinch the pennant.