As Hal Steinbrenner took the stage late Saturday night to receive the trophy for winning the American League pennant, Yankees fans who gathered behind the visiting dugout at Progre sive Field were already thinking about the future. The Yankees had just punched their ticket to , but their fans wanted to make sure the superstar who delivered the final blow in Game 5 of the ALCS would be sticking around for more Octobers to come. Re-sign Soto! they chanted, echoing a familiar refrain that echoed through Yankee Stadium throughout the second half of the season. Juan Soto roars after hitting his go-ahead home run in the 10th inning of Game 5 on Oct. 19. Jason Szenes for the NY Post They werent the only ones. I think we should re-sign Soto, $700 million Jazz Chisholm Jr. said later in the clubhouse amidst a raucous champagne and beer celebration. Thats my number. Final offer. Others were slightly more subtle, though the me sage remained the same. We need him to stay Larry Nance Jr. Jersey . Hes going to stay, ALCS MVP Giancarlo Stanton said. We gotta bring it [a championship] home and then well bring him home. Juan Soto celebrates after the Yankees clinched a World Series berth on Oct. 20. Charles Wenzelberg Of course, that will all play out once the World Series is over and into the winter. But first Soto made sure the Yankees will have a chance to win it all this year after his heroics in a cla sic Soto at-bat in the 10th inning. He got into a 1-1 count against Guardians right-hander Hunter Gaddis and then fouled off two sliders and two changeups. Explore More He knew he was all over every pitch, but was spoiling the off-speed ones while waiting for a mistake on which he could do damage. It finally came on the seventh pitch of the at-bat, a 95 mph fastball at the top of the zone that Soto pounced on and skied to center field. Some of his teammates worried it might be too high to get out, but the ball just kept drifting and landed beyond the wall for a three-run shot. The more pitches he sees, the more dangerous he becomes, just downloading the release point, the timing, everything, Stanton said. It seemed like he took a few of those balls out the catchers glove. Incredible moment and exactly who he is. Yankees DH Giancarlo Stanton holds up his ALCS MVP award on Oct. 19, 2024. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post Halfway up the first-base line, Soto turned to the Yankees dugout and pounded his chest as his teammates spilled onto the dirt in a frenzy. I felt like I was laying in a coffin after he hit it, cause I was dead, Chisholm said. My body just went from having a heart attack to not. Inside a suite at Progre sive Field. Brian Cashman clutched his hands together in a prayer sign, uttered, Oh my God, and then started worrying about getting the final three outs. Follow The Posts coverage of the Yankees in the postseason: The Yankees acquired Soto for moments like this, and Soto was basking in it all. Thank you to everybody who was involved in this trade, Soto said, standing on the mound amidst the on-field celebration. Im really happy with that. Im really happy to be here. Traded me to one of the best teams Ive ever been on in my life. The Yankees did more than just trade for Soto to go from 82-80 to American League champions. Yankees third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. celebrates in the clubhouse after the team wins the ALCS on Oct. 19, 2024. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post They had improvement from within from last years roster (most notably Stanton and Carlos Rodon), mostly stayed healthier and also acquired Alex Verdugo in the offseason and Chisholm at the trade deadline. But the impact of Soto was undeniable in getting the Yankees over the top. That was the whole purpose of going all-in, Cashman said on the field after securing the seventh AL pennant during his tenure as GM. We gave up a lot and it was a one-year deal for a lot of money. So it was a big che s move, no doubt about it. That was designed to increase our chances, and it did. Now the Yankees will try to nail down four more wins for a title to squeeze every ounce out of the trade before Soto hits the open market. His price tag is only going up with another memorable October after starring as a 20-year-old in the Nationals championship run in 2019. I think hes had a hell of a run, Cashman said. Hes enjoyed it. Hes performed. Hes felt like hes always been here, the way hes acclimated himself. I think all boxes checked in terms of enjoying his time and liking the franchise. But again, hes earned the right to be a free agent. So all those type of discu sions will happen in the [offseason]. Darius Garland Jersey