### Guardians Seek Victory Over Yankees in ALCS: Keys to Success

The Cleveland Guardians are poised for an intense showdown as they aim to surpass the formidable New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series (ALCS). The last time the Guardians bested the Yankees in a playoff series was in the 2007 ALCS. To secure their fourth pennant in three decades, Cleveland must overcome significant challenges in both pitching and hitting against a team with a far larger payroll.

### Length from Starters and Depth from the Pen

The Guardians' starters must step up and deliver more innings to sustain their bullpen through a seven-game series. In their previous series against the Detroit Tigers, the Cleveland bullpen covered an unsustainable 26 of 44 innings. For the ALCS, starting pitchers like Tanner Bibee, Alex Cobb, Matthew Boyd, and either Gavin Williams, Joey Cantillo, or Ben Lively need to aim for at least five innings per start.

Manager Stephen Vogt must balance the use of his relievers to prevent the "third-time-through-the-order-penalty" and the detrimental effects of over-familiarity. Leveraging the bullpen's full strength, including second-tier arms like Eli Morgan, Erik Sabrowski, Andrew Walters, and Pedro Avila, will be critical. This approach will help preserve top relievers like Hunter Gaddis, Cade Smith, Tim Herrin, and Emmanuel Clase for crucial moments without overworking them. Interestingly, the strategic use of lefty rookie Joey Cantillo could be advantageous, as the Yankees struggle more against left-handers and changeups.

### Left-Handed Hitters Must Shine

With the Yankees' rotation and bullpen primarily featuring right-handed pitchers, Cleveland's left-handed hitters will play a pivotal role. The Guardians ranked 20th in MLB with a 95 wRC+ against right-handed pitchers, but they will need players like Josh Naylor, Kyle Manzardo, Andres Gimenez, Bo Naylor, and Will Brennan to contribute significantly. Switch-hitting stars such as Jose Ramirez, Steven Kwan, and Brayan Rocchio, who excelled in the previous series against the Tigers, must maintain their momentum to counter the Yankees' strong offense.

### Contain Aaron Judge and Juan Soto

To beat the Yankees, the Guardians must focus on containing powerhouse hitters Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. The Yankees’ offense largely hinges on these two sluggers, though players like Giancarlo Stanton, Alex Verdugo, and Gleyber Torres can also dramatically impact games. Any strategy aiming to limit Judge and Soto's influence will be vital. Bearing in mind their potential for Hall of Fame careers, the Guardians' pitching staff must be meticulously prepared to avoid giving them opportunities to alter the series' dynamics.

### Conclusion

Cleveland fans are excited to see their team back in the ALCS and eager to avenge their recent losses to the Yankees. With a focused strategy leveraging pitching depth, enhanced performance from left-handed batters, and stringent plans to contain Judge and Soto, the Guardians hope to end their organization's 76-year championship drought. Success in these areas will be crucial if they intend to defeat the Yankees and advance to the World Series.