Updated MLB Playoff bracket: Who should the Yankees want to play next in ALCS?

The New York Yankees missed out on the postseason last year after a disastrous campaign. One year later, they are back in the American League Championship Series. The Yankees defeated the Kansas City Royals 3-1 in Game 4 of the ALDS to advance to the ALCS.

It wasn't a pretty series, as the Yankees' offense was rather woeful, but they scored just enough runs to beat the Royals and their equally woeful offense. But the starting rotation was strong, notably from Gerrit Cole in Game 4, and the bullpen was lights out, which is a surprise given their struggles throughout the season.

Now, they await the winner of Game 5 between the Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers, which takes place on Saturday night. From there, it will be onto the ALCS. So, who should the Yankees want to face?

Who should the Yankees want to face in the ALCS?

Cleveland Guardians

With the Baltimore Orioles and the Houston Astros out of the postseason in the Wild Card Round, the Yankees would be facing two members of the AL Central in their path to the World Series. Perhaps the toughtest opponent on paper would be the Cleveland Guardians.

Last time the Yankees made the playoffs, they had to face the Guardians in the 2022 ALDS, and it wasn't an easy series. New York's bats were down in the dumps, but Cleveland's was even worse. The Yankees did end the series in five games before getting swept by the Astros in that year's ALCS.

The Guardians have five All-Stars on the roster — outfielder Steven Kwan, closer Emmanuel Clase, first baseman Josh Naylor, designated hitter David Fry, and third baseman Jose Ramirez. On paper, they are the toughest matchup.

Clase leads perhaps Cleveland's strength throughout this season — the bullpen. At the end of the regular season, Cleveland's bullpen had a cumulative ERA of 2.57, the best in all of the majors. If the Yankees bats can't come to life, it could be tough to beat the Guardians this time around.

Detroit Tigers

It's truly incredible how a couple of months can change things. At the trade deadline, the Detroit Tigers had no chance of making it into the playoffs. But they went on the run of runs since that date, and are now one win away from making it to the ALCS for the first time since 2013.

The Tigers have carried a ton of momentum since the end of the regular season. They pulled off an incredible upset over the heavily-favored Astros in the Wild Card round. Then, in the ALDS, the Tigers won Games 2 and 3, and nearly pulled off a comeback win in Game 4 on Thursday night. Simply put, this team doesn't quit.

The Yankees would also have to deal with a familiar face in A.J. Hinch, who was responsible for eliminating them in the Wild Card Round in 2015 and the ALCS in 2017 and 2019 when he was the skipper for the Astros. Now, he is managing a gutsy, gritty Tigers team.

Plus, the Tigers have Tarik Skubal, the favorite to win the AL Cy Young Award. Skubal recorded a 2.39 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP, an 18-4 win-loss record, and 228 strikeouts in 31 starts. This postseason, Skubal posted a 0.00 ERA, a 0.62 WHIP, and 14 strikeouts in two starts (13.0 innings).

Who should the Yankees want to play next?

This is a tough one, considering that both teams will be tough matchups, no matter what anyone might say. But the last thing you want is to play the hottest team in the postseason, who happen to be the Tigers. Add the fact that Skubal will probably have two starts on the mound, and that Hinch will be the manager for Detroit, who has gotten the better of Aaron Boone in the postseason in the past, the Yankees should want no part of them.

That's not to say the Guardians will be the easier matchup. But, there are more factors on the Tigers that could result in the Yankees missing out on a World Series yet again.