New York Yankees proud of 'brotherhood' that has developed

NEW YORK -- While not exactly a modern metric, Aaron Boone is convinced the New York Yankees have their highest kumbaya in years.

"The closeness that these guys have with one another and that trite 'playing for one another' is palpable with this group, has been all year, has been since day one," the manager said Monday, four days ahead of the World Series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers. "These guys love each other and these guys love doing it for one another."

Seeking their 28th title, the Yankees are in the World Series for the first time since winning the 2009 championship. Boone replaced Joe Girardi ahead of the 2018 season, and his teams were eliminated in the 2019 and 2022 American League Championship Series, the 2018 and 2020 division series and the 2021 wild-card game.

New York went 82-80 last year and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016. That failure motivated many players, including captain Aaron Judge, to report in January to the team's minor league complex in Tampa, Florida, weeks before the formal start of spring training.

"The guys that have been here, the leadership that have been here took all that very personally and knew that we had to have a great season this year and maybe just on the margins just a tighter focus, even in the winter," Boone said. "Not only working out and getting prepared for spring training, but I think fostering those relationships."

New additions for 2024 bonded with veterans.

"It's just a brotherhood," pitcher Clarke Schmidt said. "We love each other. We got each other's backs."

Boone spoke in the Yankee Stadium news conference room, wearing a new World Series sweatshirt and with a World Series logo backdrop. There was an optional workout as the team let Saturday's AL pennant-winning game against Cleveland start to fade and turned its attention to the National League champion Dodgers.

In navigating the postseason, Boone said he has been texting with Joe Torre, who managed the Yankees to titles in 1996 and from 1998 to 2000.

New York and Los Angeles will play only the fifth World Series between teams with their league's best record since wild cards started after Cleveland and Atlanta (the initial wild-card season of 1995), the Yankees and Braves (1999), Boston and St. Louis (2013) and the Dodgers and Tampa Bay (2020).

This matchup features Judge and Shohei Ohtani, the likely league MVPs. They will be among only six pairs of league home run leaders to meet in the Series after Babe Ruth and George Kelly (1921), Ruth and Jim Bottomley (1928), Lou Gehrig and Mel Ott (1936), Joe DiMaggio and Ott (1937) and Mickey Mantle and Duke Snider (1956).

The only times since 1980 that MVPs met in the Series were Kirk Gibson and Jose Canseco in 1988 and Buster Posey and Miguel Cabrera in 2012.

"The stars will be out. The eyeballs will be watching and, hopefully, we can deliver on a great Series," Boone said.

After several seasons filled with numerous injuries, New York has been relatively healthy: Anthony Volpe played in 160 games, Judge 158, Juan Soto 157, Gleyber Torres 154 and Alex Verdugo 149. Carlos Rodon made 32 starts, Nestor Cortes 30, and Luis Gil and Marcus Stroman 29 each.

Ace Gerrit Cole didn't make his season debut until June 19 because of right elbow inflammation but has skipped only one rotation turn since returning. Schmidt came back in September from a lat strain, Gil from a back strain and Jon Berti from a calf strain.

Cortes appears likely to be added to the World Series roster after recovering from a flexor strain in his left elbow that has sidelined him since Sept. 18. First baseman Anthony Rizzo returned from a pair of fractured fingers to hit .429 in the LCS (6-for-14).

"We are as whole as we've been really in several years," Boone said in mid-September. "There's been a lot of years where we've had good seasons, where we've gotten to postseason where we've had some attrition."

Cole will pitch the opener and while Boone wouldn't commit to a rotation after that, the most likely order would be Rodon, Schmidt and Gil.

"I do think we're here because this is our best team," Boone said, "at least at this time of year."