New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton was named MVP of the American League Championship Series after knocking off the Cleveland Guardians in five games.
"Anything I can do to help us win," Stanton said. "It's a special moment for me, a special time, but this ain't the trophy I want. I want the next one.”
Stanton came up clutch with four home runs, seven RBIs, and a 1.222 OPS.
"I'm so pumped for him," Yankees captain Aaron Judge said, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. "The hard work he puts in the whole season - that guy's gotten booed so many times at the stadium and on the road. He's battled some tough injuries but that guy always shows up when we need him. I can't speak enough about what he does for this team."
The 34-year-old tied up Game 5 with a monstrous two-run home run off Guardians right-hander Tanner Bibee that traveled an estimated 446 feet with an exit velocity of 117.5 mph.
The home run was Stanton's 16th postseason long ball as a Yankee, moving him past Hall of Famer Babe Ruth and Aaron Judge for fourth on the all-time franchise list.
| Player | HR |
|---|---|
| Bernie Williams | 22 |
| Derek Jeter | 20 |
| Mickey Mantle | 18 |
| Giancarlo Stanton | 16 |
| Babe Ruth | 15 |
| Aaron Judge | 15 |
"We've got it all," Stanton said. "We know we have it in this group, and we're going to enjoy this right now, but we know there's much more work to do. It's only uphill from here, and we've got to get it done."