The 2024 Yankees were American League champions. It is a forever designation. It will not historically come with footnotes. Yet, I cant shake David Bote Jersey that the organizations first pennant in 15 years owed something to a weak AL. The nemeses Astros and expected burgeoning power Orioles took a step backward, and the defending champion Rangers, Rays and Blue Jays retreated more than that. That opened a door to an ideal AL Central postseason cakewalk to the World Series for the Yankees. I do not, for example, think the 2024 Yankees were better than the 2017, 19 or 22 versions, who all lost in the ALCS to the Astros. There just was not an AL foe as good as those Astros this time. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman speaks to the media on Dec. 18, 2024. AP Nothing that has occurred so far this offseason has radically upgraded the AL. In fact, , fifth-place Cy Young (Corbin Burnes) and Kyle Tucker shifted to the NL. The favorites to land the biggest international prize this offseason (Roki Sasaki) . The AL team that has done best importing NL talent is the Yankees Cody Bellinger, Fernando Cruz, Max Fried, Paul Goldschmidt and Devin Williams (all but Fried from the tepid NL Central). Anderson Espinoza Jersey