Yankees partied hard after first AL pennant in 15 years, but have sights set on ‘ultimate prize’

CLEVELAND — As the Guardians’ Lane Thomas flew out to Juan Soto to end Game 5 of the ALCS on Saturday night, the Yankees started sprinting to the middle of Progressive Field.

Within seconds of Soto, the 10th-inning hero after crushing a three-run bomb to break a 2-2 tie, securing the ball, a mosh pit formed near the mound. With the Yankees having won the pennant and trip to the World Series for the first time in 15 years, the party had begun.

“Thank you to everybody who was involved in this trade,” said Soto, who the Yankees acquired from the Padres over the offseason so that they could have moments like this. “I’m really happy with that. I’m really happy to be here. They traded me to the one of the best teams I’ve ever been on in my life. So I’m really happy to be here and be part of this celebration.”

Soon, families joined players, coaches and executives on the field. Meanwhile, fans who made the trip soundtracked the start of the festivities, screaming for Aaron Judge, Aaron Boone, Giancarlo Stanton and especially Soto from behind the Yankees’ dugout. Each showed love for those who made the trip, walking toward the fans to pump fists and encourage more noise.

“Do the roll call,” Jazz Chisholm Jr. repeatedly begged, but it was far too loud for anyone in the stands to hear him.

As the Yankees then gathered for a team photo, Anthony Rizzo dramatically slid into the front of the frame before the group then took a makeshift stage near second base. There, Judge, Boone, Hal Steinbrenner, Brian Cashman and others hoisted the American League Championship trophy.

“We had our ups, we had our downs, but they never had a doubt,” Steinbrenner said as fans demanded the owner to re-sign Soto in the background. Then he added, “We’ve got four more wins to go.”

Stanton, awarded the ALCS MVP trophy after hitting four home runs in the series, including a game-tying, two-run shot in Game 5, wholeheartedly agreed.

“This ain’t the trophy I want,” he said of his well-earned accolade. “I want the next one.”

The Yankees all share that goal, but that didn’t stop them from raging as they popped champagne and Budweiser, lit stogies and blasted music inside the visitor’s clubhouse. At various times, flying bottles connected with a few TVs in the room, leaving the screens shattered.

“You gotta fight for your right to party,” the group collectively yelled as the Beastie Boys blared.

“I don’t know how to describe it, honestly. It’s just so special,” Judge said amidst the festivity. “You just look back at all the hard work, all the guys showing up in Tampa when no one else was there after a disappointing season last season, that’s what I go back to. That’s the first thing I thought of.”

Aaron Judge grabs a bottle of bubbly as the Yankees celebrate trip to World Series. As the music cycled through Kendrick Lamar diss tracks, Latin hits and classic rock anthems, dance parties broke out on the soggy, booze-soaked carpet. After a grueling series and season, the Yankees relished the latest chance to celebrate as a unit.

“Here we got a family. I feel like the togetherness here is out of this world, 10 out of 10, and nobody can compare to it,” said Chisholm, acquired midseason in a trade with the Marlins. “I thought I was just coming to play with a baseball team, but I came to play with a family.”

With the party still going hard at 1 a.m., a semicircle formed around the leader of that family as the Yankees doused Boone in beer and bubbly. The bottles, still sitting on ice when they were grabbed, sent shivers down the manager’s spine.

“We don’t feel cold,” Alex Verdugo yelled as a smiling Boone, dressed only in no-longer-useful thermals, exited the splash zone.

“The guys I get to go to work with every day — my coaches and these players — that’s why you do it,” Boone said. “We’ve had some great groups, great camaraderie, some great clubhouse. This group is as close as I’ve ever seen.”

Shortly after that drenching, the Yankees closed the clubhouse to reporters and TV crews as the party continued.

“You don’t have to go home,” Stanton jokingly said, “but you can’t stay here.”

A few members of the team then sang, “Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey hey, goodbye” as they waved folks out of the room.

While the Yankees had plenty of fun on Saturday, players made it clear that they have their sights set on another party.

Throwing it won’t be easy. With the team still waiting on the end of the NLCS — the Yanks will play the Dodgers or the Mets in the World Series — they know that a challenge awaits as they go for their real goal: a championship.

“We didn’t come here for this,” Judge said. “We came here for the ultimate prize.”

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