After missing the postseason last year, the Yankees celebrated their return by popping bottles.
The Yanks (89-63) became the first American League team to secure a spot in the 2024 MLB playoffs with their 2-1 win in 10 innings against the Mariners in Seattle on Wednesday night and then let it rip with a little champagne, as videos and photos from the visitors’ locker room show.
Jazz Chisholm Jr., the Yankees’ big midseason signing, broadcast the team’s celebration on Instagram Live, with Juan Soto playing a prominent role in the boozy bash.
At one point in the post-game broadcast on Prime Video, Chisholm was seen being doused with Budweiser while wearing goggles on his forehead and saying, “I can’t see anything.”
Soto interrupted his Clubhouse interview with YES Network’s Meredith Marakovits for a dance break.
Chisholm also once had some friendly remarks to make to Captain Aaron Judge: “How are you still here? You’re the person you expected to be the first to leave.”
Earlier Wednesday, reliever Tommy Kahnle said during an appearance on “Foul Territory” that it was up to Judge whether the team would pop bottles to secure a playoff spot or wait until they potentially won the AL East. They now have a five-game lead over the Orioles in the division.
“If we do this tonight, I will of course pop some champagne,” said Kahnle.
And he did more: At one point, he stood in the middle of a circle of Yankees teammates and poured champagne on them while enjoying the moment, raising his arms and shaking his head.
“That’s him in his natural habitat, I swear,” Chisholm said of Kahnle in his livestream.
Judge clearly felt this was the right moment to celebrate, although he also recognizes that there is still a lot at stake.
“We definitely know the work isn’t done – we’re chasing this division – but to get a chance to punch our ticket to the postseason again after missing out last year means a lot to us,” Judge said during the champagne celebration. “We have a special group here. The guys are definitely excited, but they know the mission is still ahead of them.”
The Yankees almost didn’t have a chance to celebrate on Wednesday, as Clay Holmes allowed a home run to Justin Turner in the eighth inning to tie the game before Anthony Rizzo scored his second run of the game with a double in the 10th inning.
The next step for the Yankees is to win their second AL East title in three years after the Orioles won it last year. And then, of course, they want to win their first World Series since 2009.
If they succeed, we can expect much more exuberant celebrations than on Wednesday.
