New York Yankees

Travis Scott shouted out New York Yankees third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. for wearing the rapper's signature Jordan 1 cleats during Tuesday's Game 2 ALCS win over the Cleveland Guardians.

"That boi jazzz," Scott wrote over a photo of Chisholm wearing the "Reverse Mocha" colorway of the Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 on his Instagram story.

Currently two wins away from a trip to the World Series, Chisholm and the Yankees are set to face the Guardians in Cleveland for Thursday evening's Game 3.

Chisholm, acquired in a midseason trade with the Miami Marlins as the Yankees loaded up for a postseason run, has had a slow start to the ALCS so far.

In eight at-bats he has struck out three times, registering his only hit in the series in Game 2 with a sixth-inning double that was erased when he was caught stealing.

Chisholm also provided limited offense while batting .133 during the Yankees' four-game ALDS win over the Kansas City Royals, although he recorded one home run in a Game 2 loss at home.

That hasn't seemed to shake Chisholm's confidence after he embraced getting booed by the crowd at Kauffman Stadium during the ALDS win over the Royals. He then told ESPN's Jeff Passan after the Yankees took a 2-0 ALCS lead over the Guardians that he believed his team was on track to win the pennant.

"We're World Series champions. No other doubt in my mind," Chisholm said, per Passan.

Scott has been collaborating with Air Jordan since 2018, when his "Cactus Jack" sneaker was released. The "Reverse Mocha" colorway debuted in 2022.

A Texas native, Scott is an established fan of the Houston Astros. Thanks to Chisholm wearing his collab against the Guardians, he's showing support for the Bronx instead as the Yankees fight for the chance to take on the New York Mets or Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.

After previously making enemies with Kansas City Royals fans in the ALDS, New York Yankees third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. isn't endearing himself to fans of the other remaining playoff teams by predicting the champion has already been decided.

Speaking to ESPN's Jeff Passan, Chisholm said the Yankees are "World Series champions. No other doubt in my mind" as his team takes a 2-0 series lead into Game 3 of the American League Championship Series on Thursday.

Chisholm's quote was part of an answer about the possibility that Aaron Judge is ready to take off following his two-run homer in the seventh inning of New York's 6-3 win over the Cleveland Guardians in Game 2.

"I've been saying it from day one, and that's without him raking," Chisholm said of Judge. "He's starting to come together. And now I see it."

AARON JUDGE DOUBLES THE @YANKEES LEAD! #ALCS pic.twitter.com/XBzdccyp3A

— MLB (@MLB) October 16, 2024

Chisholm became the villain in the ALDS when he declared the Royals "just got lucky" in a 4-2 win over the Yankees in Game 2.

"We're gonna win it... We had a lot of missed opportunities tonight. (The Royals) just got lucky."

Jazz Chisholm Jr. speaks on how he feels about the series after the loss pic.twitter.com/EoHHbYHc4m

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) October 8, 2024

While there's still a lot of baseball left to be played, Chisholm's declaration that the Yankees are going to win the World Series doesn't seem far-fetched at this point. They have opened up a cushion in the ALCS, despite only one hit from Judge through two games and a lackluster outing from Gerrit Cole in Game 2.

If the Yankees do advance, the two NL teams still standing would probably have just as much confidence as Chisholm does. They lost two of three games to the Los Angeles Dodgers and were swept in four games by the New York Mets during the regular season.

The Yankees will send Clarke Schmidt to the mound in Game 3 of the ALCS against the Guardians at Progressive Field on Thursday. They are two wins away from their first World Series appearance since 2009.

New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge smoked a seventh-inning, two-run homer to dead-center field in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series to help give his team a 6-3 win. In that moment, second baseman Gleyber Torres tagged up from first base, waiting to see if the ball would go out.

It did, but Judge was asked about the tag-up multiple times postgame. He provided these responses.

"That was disrespect out of Gleyber, man. He's seen me hit 58 of those things this year." 😂

- Aaron Judge on Gleyber Torres going back to tag up on his home run pic.twitter.com/RC2KoLbAKs

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) October 16, 2024

Aaron Judge was "pretty pissed" that Gleyber Torres tagged up on his homer in Game 2 of the ALCS

"I'll let this one slide" 😂 pic.twitter.com/5FpQR9sb5I

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) October 16, 2024

Judge, of course, made the remarks in a jovial tone and didn't seem particularly perturbed with Torres at all. At any rate, it's all smiles for the Yanks right now with the Bronx Bombers up two games to zero in the best-of-seven ALCS.

As far as Torres goes, he spoke about the tag-up afterward, saying he was a little "embarrassed."

Gleyber Torres says he felt a little "embarrassed" tagging up at third base on Aaron Judge's ALCS Game 2 homer 😂 pic.twitter.com/ZvObyUnWeF

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) October 16, 2024

Yankees first base coach Travis Chapman apparently told Torres to tag up, per Judge's remarks, so it wasn't all on the second baseman. But it didn't make any difference. And if Guardians center fielder Lane Thomas did catch the ball, then it's very likely Torres would have coasted into second anyway.

But that didn't happen. The ball carried over the fence, and it was a big moment for Judge, who entered Tuesday with just two hits in 15 playoff plate appearances this year. He was 0-for-2 with a sacrifice fly in Game 2 before the homer gave the Yanks a couple of insurance runs.

Now New York will look to go up 3-0 in the series on Thursday when the team faces the Guardians in Cleveland. The first pitch is set fpr 5:08 p.m. ET.

A one-of-a-kind item from New York Yankees legend Mickey Mantle is being offered for auction at Leland's, per TMZ Sports.

Mickey Mantle One-Of-A-Kind Autograph Hits Auction Block, 'These Pens Suck' | Click to read more 👇 https://t.co/yyCculT3CL

— TMZ (@TMZ) October 16, 2024

Last July, The Collectibles Guru gave a full view on the item, which in essence is an autograph sheet of 99 Mantle signatures and one comment on his thoughts regarding his pen's quality, or lack thereof.

A collector on Facebook has an entire 16x20 sheet, of early 1990’s Mickey Mantle autographs. 🤯

It includes 99 total autos and a “These pens suck” inscription. The owner received the gift directly from Mantle.

If the sheet were to come up for sale, how much do you think it… pic.twitter.com/hjoE2CS3ZH

— The Collectibles Guru (@ericwhiteback) July 31, 2024

Leland's provided the context:

"Offered is a one-of-a-kind item: a display of 99 Mickey Mantle signatures, plus a small bit of signed Mantle improvisation. The autograph sheet was a gift from Mantle to our consignor during his time signing for Sports Impressions, a statue company that produced MLB, NBA, and NFL-licensed products in the 1980s-90s."

Leland's later added:

"Using a fine tip black marker, Mantle, in his big and bold, exquisitely crafted signature, signed 99 of the segments. On the 47th segment, Mantle wrote a change-up. Instead of his signature, Mantle wrote, 'These pens suck.' Then he signed 53 more segments, still as neatly scripted as ever. Mantle was a perfectionist about his signature and despite his protestations about the quality of his pen, his signatures are absolutely gorgeous."

The starting bid began at $10,000. As of 9 a.m. ET on Wednesday, the bidding is at $77,622 after 37 offers.

Mantle is one of the most beloved figures in baseball history, and his memorabilia and autographs have been highly sought after over the years. People are willing to pay well into the seven figures (and sometimes eight) for it.

In fact, a Mantle 1952 Topps card was sold for $12.6 million in 2022, setting the record for the biggest purchase for paid "any sports item, card or memorabilia," per ESPN's Dan Hajducky.

Mantle played for the Yankees from 1951-1968, winning seven World Series and 12 AL pennants. He was an All-Star in 16 of his 18 years and won three American League MVP awards. Mantle also won the 1956 Triple Crown with 52 home runs, 130 RBI and a .353 batting average. He finished his career with 536 homers, 1,509 RBI and a .977 OPS.

Mantle passed away in 1995 at the age of 63.

New York Yankees superstar outfielder Aaron Judge was able to breathe a sigh of relief Wednesday night after crushing his first home run of the 2024 playoffs in a 6-3 win over the Cleveland Guardians in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series.

With the Yanks leading 4-2 in the seventh inning, Judge took Guardians reliever Hunter Gaddis deep to center field for a two-run shot, and the likely AL MVP suggested to ESPN's Jeff Passan that he may have had some supernatural help in getting it out of the ballpark.

"You never know on these windy, chilly nights what that ball is going to do when you hit the center here," Judge said. "But the ghosts were pulling out there to Monument Park, that's for sure."

AARON JUDGE DOUBLES THE @YANKEES LEAD! #ALCS pic.twitter.com/XBzdccyp3A

— MLB (@MLB) October 16, 2024

In addition to Judge breaking out of his slump, the Bronx Bombers took a 2-0 series lead and are now two wins away from their first World Series appearance since 2009.

During the regular season, Judge was as close to unstoppable as any hitter in baseball, slashing .322/.458/.701 and leading the AL with 58 homers and 144 RBI.

Overall, Judge arguably had an even better season than he did in 2022 when he set the single-season American League record with 62 home runs, and he is almost certainly poised to win his second AL MVP Award in the past three seasons.

Despite that, Judge has struggled to shake the reputation that he is not a big-time performer in the postseason.

For his career, the 6'7" slugger has appeared in 50 playoff games, slashing .206/.314/.455 with 14 home runs and 29 RBI, which pales in comparison to his career numbers in the regular season.

Prior to Tuesday's game, Judge was off to another slow start in these playoffs, hitting .133 with no home runs and one RBI through five contests against the Kansas City Royals and Guardians.

Judge's struggles had been so obvious that Guardians manager Stephen Vogt did the unthinkable by walking Juan Soto to load the bases and bring Judge up in the second inning.

While Judge didn't get a hit in that scenario, he did deliver a sacrifice fly to extend the Yankee lead to 3-0, and it stands to reason that the situation may have given him both confidence and motivation for later in the game.

Judge's homer essentially put the game out of reach, and it is fair to wonder if that was the hit he needed in order to go on a tear.

The juxtaposition between Judge in the regular season and playoffs is reminiscent of another former Yankees great in Álex Rodríguez.

From 2004 to 2007, A-Rod appeared in 24 playoff games for the Yankees and hit just .245 with four homers and nine RBI. He entered the 2009 playoffs with the reputation for shrinking in the spotlight, but he put that narrative to rest with a postseason run for the ages.

En route to the Yankees beating the Philadelphia Phillies to win the 2009 World Series, Rodriguez hit .365 with six home runs and 18 RBI in 15 playoff games, which all but erased his past failures.

Judge has a chance to do something similar in this year's playoffs, and his performance in Game 2 of the ALCS may very well have been the catalyst he needed.

The New York Yankees are sitting comfortably at 2-0 after a 6-3 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday.

The Yankees took a 3-0 lead after two innings thanks to an error that brought home Gleyber Torres and a pair of RBI from Alex Verdugo and Aaron Judge. Cleveland got on the board with a pair of runs in the fifth, which ultimately wasn't too much damage done considering it had the bases loaded with no outs.

New York added to its lead in the sixth after an Anthony Rizzo double combined with a fielding error led to Anthony Volpe scoring. In the seventh Judge finally hit his first home run of the postseason in the seventh to score two runs and make it a 6-2 lead. The Guardians had a solo homer in the ninth, but it was too little, too late.

AARON JUDGE'S FIRST HOMER OF THE POSTSEASON MAKES IT 6-2 YANKEES 😤 pic.twitter.com/hzfdIYh5JQ

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 16, 2024

It hasn't been the best postseason for Judge, but his first homer came at a good time and it could be exactly what he needs to build some momentum.

After the Game 2 win, fans praised Judge for getting back on track and hyped the Yankees for taking a 2-0 lead.

“Judge can’t hit in the postseason”
“The lights are too bright for him”
“He’s not built for October”
“He’s not clutch”

Aaron Judge: pic.twitter.com/0YClra2XfP

— ZT (@NY_EvilEmpire) October 16, 2024

AARON JUDGE IS ALIVE

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) October 16, 2024

A 2-run homer from Aaron Judge caps off some great middle innings from the Yankees. 6-2 NY and the Guardians just seem overwhelmed. #RepBX

— Jack Knight (@Jack_On_Sports) October 16, 2024

Finally!! Aaron judge with the homer! #Yankees #aaronjudge #letsgoyankees

— Seth daughtry (@Sethdaughtry42) October 16, 2024

Yankees gonna win the World Series, because that’s just what they do. #ALCS #Yankees

— AZ Ranger (@NYGNYM86NYR94) October 16, 2024

Judge finally hit a home run. Looks like the Yanks are going to get another dub.

Yankees are probably going to go to the World Series.

— Based Frog (@NovaGalPulse) October 16, 2024

Aaron Judge is so back Yankees are World Series bound

— Harrison (@AlrightCrow) October 16, 2024

New York still needs a pair of wins to advance to the World Series for the first time since 2009, but Yankees fans have to feel good about their chances after a pair of wins to start the series.

The New York Yankees have the advantage in the American League Championship Series after downing the Cleveland Guardians 5-2 to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Juan Soto got things started for the Yankees with a solo home run in the bottom of the third to make it 1-0.

The Generational Juan. pic.twitter.com/GFH08rJE0f

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) October 15, 2024

New York then used a pair of pitching mishaps to get on the board in the third as Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton came across the plate on two wild pitches from Joey Cantillo. In the fourth, Judge added to the lead with a sac fly that brought Gleyber Torres home.

Cleveland finally got its first run in the sixth inning as Brayan Rocchio went yard, but Stanton canceled it out with a homer of his own in the seventh to make it a 5-1 Yankees lead. Steven Kwan hit an RBI single in the top of the eighth to cut into the deficit, but Yankees star closer Luke Weaver came in to prevent any further damage behind four strikeouts.

The Yankees got exactly what they were hoping to get out of Soto when they traded for him this offseason. The star went 2-for-3 with a homer and also got on base with a walk.

After the big night from Soto and the Yankees, fans had high praise for the Bronx Bombers.

Juan Soto career vs. Alex Cobb:

9-13
3 HR
5 RBI

pic.twitter.com/TCJustD4IR

— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) October 15, 2024

Sneak peek at Juan Soto’s deal this offseason? 😳 pic.twitter.com/HxiCuULhuX

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) October 15, 2024

Juan Soto vs. Alex Cobb entering Game 1: 7 for 11 with two home runs and four RBIs.

Juan Soto vs. Alex Cobb in Game 1: 2 for 2 with one home run.

Yankees lead, 1-0, in the third.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 15, 2024

POSTSEASON RISER STANTON https://t.co/8YV7bnLhpb

— Jason (@Dominguez2HOF) October 15, 2024

I love Juan Soto

— Steph (@StephonceJay) October 15, 2024

https://twitter.com/TylerRichard93/status/1846017980305756592

Luke Weaver is special

— Ovié (Putain) @ EXPEDITION 33 (Ball Connoisseur) (@OvieKovy) October 15, 2024

Luke Weaver is HIM

— Shaun (@SuBTraHcT) October 15, 2024

dear god I thought Stanton hit that 500 feet lmao

— Jordan Zirm (@JordanZirm) October 14, 2024

My god.

Giancarlo Stanton with a 114.3 mph, 439-foot blast.

The new-age Mr. October.

— Chris Kirschner (@ChrisKirschner) October 15, 2024

Ballgame! Yankees take Game 1 of the 2024 ALCS, 5-2. Carlos Rodón was dominant, Juan Soto and Giancarlo Stanton both left the yard, and Luke Weaver strikes out the side in the ninth to nail down the win

— Pinstripe Alley (@pinstripealley) October 15, 2024

The Yankees' five runs on Monday were their most since Game 1 of the divisional series when they had six against the Kansas City Royals. They will need that kind of offensive production and more if they want to reach the World Series for the first time since 2009.

New York will look to get one step closer to ending its World Series drought on Tuesday when it takes on Cleveland at home for Game 2.

Fox MLB analyst and former New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez called the team's path to a potential appearance in the 2024 Fall Classic "easy."

"You don't have to say it, I'll say it," Rodriguez told fellow analyst and Yankees legend Derek Jeter. "They have an easy road to the World Series. Look, it's never easy, right? But this is the clearest path in 20 years."

"You don't have to say it, I'll say it. They have an easy road to the World Series"@AROD talks about the Yankees path to the World Series this year pic.twitter.com/TtIt3ok59E

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 14, 2024

After defeating the Kansas City Royals in four games during the American League Division Series, New York is now set to battle the Cleveland Guardians for the AL pennant.

The Royals won just 86 games in the regular season, while the Guardians finished with a record of 92-69. Cleveland and New York have met three times in the postseason since 2017, with the Bronx Bombers emerging victorious on all three occasions.

The Yankees also finished with a record of 4-2 in six games against the Guardians this season.

New York's path to the World Series may be relatively easy compared to past years, but the team earned the ability to face lower-seeded squads by finishing with the top regular-season record in the American League at 94-68.

Cleveland could still use Rodriguez's comments as bulletin-board material after coming off a hard-fought ALDS victory over the Detroit Tigers.

Game 1 between the Yankees and Guardians is on Monday at 7:38 p.m. ET.

Carlos Rodón will make the biggest start of his New York Yankees tenure on Monday night.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone announced on Sunday that Rodón will be the Game 1 starter in the American League Championship Series against the Cleveland Guardians.

Gerrit Cole, who started the closing Game 4 of the ALDS against the Kansas City Royals on Thursday, is expected to start Game 2 on regular rest.

Rodón and Clarke Schmidt were the two most obvious candidates to start Game 1 of the ALCS.

Schmidt pitched four scoreless innings against the Royals before they finally go to him for two runs in the fifth inning of Game 3 on Oct. 9. He only pitched in five games after the All-Star break due to a strained lat.

Rodón struggled in his start against the Royals in Game 2. He allowed four runs on seven hits in 3.2 innings of the Yankees' 4-2 loss. The left-hander was very good in the second half prior to that start with a 2.91 ERA and 83 strikeouts over 68 innings in 12 starts.

There's not a platoon for Boone by using a lefty start against Cleveland's lineup. The Guardians had a better OPS vs. left-handed pitching (.751) compared to right-handed pitching (.685).

Cleveland advanced to the ALCS by beating arguably the best left-handed starting pitcher in MLB this season. Lane Thomas' grand slam off Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal in Game 5 of the ALDS on Saturday capped off a five-run fifth inning in their 7-3 win to advance.

LANE THOMAS. GRAND SLAM. @CLEGUARDIANS ON TOP.#ALDS pic.twitter.com/9bxvHY59T9

— MLB (@MLB) October 12, 2024

Rodón hasn't faced the Guardians in 2024. The Yankees won four of the six head-to-head meetings between the two clubs during the regular season.

Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt has yet to announce his Game 1 starter. The most-likely candidate is Alex Cobb, who allowed two runs in three innings against the Tigers on Oct. 9.

The Guardians and Yankees will play Game 1 of the ALCS at Yankee Stadium on Monday at 7:38 p.m. ET.

Gerrit Cole will be on the mound for the New York Yankees early in the ALCS.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters on Saturday that Cole will be the team's Game 2 starter. The team's Game 1 starter is still to be determined.

Gerrit Cole will start Game 2, Boone said.

— Jorge Castillo (@jorgecastillo) October 12, 2024

Gerrit Cole is expected to start Game 2 of the ALCS for the Yankees pic.twitter.com/YkhtzIzXO1

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) October 12, 2024

Cole pitched twice in the ALDS against the Kansas City Royals, with New York winning both games. Cole earned the win in the series-clinching Game 4 matchup.

Cole has held a strong presence atop the Yankees rotation all season. He went 8-5 with a 3.41 ERA in 17 starts. He was limited to just 95 innings and did not debut until June due to an elbow injury.

Incidentally, that layoff could have served as a benefit of sorts, as he threw less than half of the innings he did in 2023 and doesn't have the workload of a whole season behind him. He is more in mid-season form and will be a formidable force for his opponents to deal with.

Starting the second game will likely set him up to pitch once more if the series is extended to six or seven games. He has a career ERA of 2.94 in the postseason and an 11-6 record.

The Yankees await the winner of the ALDS series between the Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers. New York has advanced to the ALCS for the second time in the last three seasons but the franchise has not reached the World Series since 2009.