The Yankees' $166 million quintet needs to start pulling its weight

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The template for what is possible for Juan Soto's 2024 Yankees is the 2019 Juan Soto's Nationals.

Because these Nats definitely weren't mosquitoes. They were full of stars, and what distinguished the only champion in the history of this organization was that the stars appeared at night.

The two best hitters in October for this Washington team were Soto and Anthony Rendon. The two best pitchers were Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg.

This quartet of elite players performed in the biggest moment on the biggest stage over four rounds and carried the chorus with them.

In two games of an AL Division Series, the Yankees were far too reliant on the choir. Gleyber Torres always provided the best attacks. The Best Pitching of Their Bullpen Anonymous Group – Really, if Jake Cousins ​​and Tim Mayza were walking down a street, would you know it wasn't Tim Weaver and Luke Hill? Did I take you there? I know it's Luke Weaver and Tim Hill. I'm just checking to see if you're paying attention.

Because if so, you know these Yankees often go the way of their stars. They are top-heavy, and when that top-heavy group thrives, the Yankees thrive. When that's not the case – when a baseball game is taking place, when tactics and execution matter most – the Yankees are in trouble.

These Yankees are Mike Tyson. They are full of power and fury, not cunning and cunning. And in the first two games, their knockout artists – Aaron Judge, Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon – had really let the team down. The Royals had outplayed the Yankees in most of the 18 innings, and in many ways the Yanks were fortunate to tie a game each before Game 3 on Wednesday night.

Soto had a diplomatic response to the 2019 Nationals, noting, “Our big stars had big moments,” but then adding generally, “At the end of the day, it's about the entire team.” We can't rely on one player to do everything will make it to the finish line. We have to do it as a team.”

And yes, these Nationals certainly had valuable contributions from Patrick Corbin (particularly in relief) as well as Howie Kendrick and Adam Eaton. But Soto had a .927 OPS with three doubles and five home runs this postseason. Rendon had an OPS of 1.003 with seven doubles and three home runs. Together, they accounted for 39 percent of the team's playoff RBIs.

Five years ago on Wednesday, Rendon hit a home run in the eighth inning against Clayton Kershaw, and Soto, who had scored a single in the first run, hit a home run to tie the game in Game 5 of the Division Series. The Nationals eliminated the Dodgers on Kendrick's tenth-inning grand slam.

This postseason, Scherzer and Strasburg started 10 games together. You personally won eight, and the Nats won all ten (and remember, they needed twelve wins to win the title).

Both also threw a play in relief – Strasburg came on in the unique wild card game started by Scherzer. This was the game in which the Nationals defeated David Stearns' Brewers. The game-winning run scored when Soto's eight-inning single was hit by Trent Grisham and helped bring home three runs as Washington trailed 3-1.

The Nats then defeated Alex Verdugo's Dodgers – although Verdugo had an oblique injury and did not play, before defeating Harrison Bader's Cardinals in the NLCS and then keeping Cole from winning a World Series as the Nationals swept the Astros in seven games.

Cole was hit hard – 11 balls traveling at least 95 miles per hour – because he didn't pitch well in that opening game of the Division Series. He's the scheduled Game 4 starter and said he's “looking forward to trying again.”

Soto had three hits in the opener to help the Yankees win 6-5. But Judge was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. Soto and Judge then went a combined 0-6 with three strikeouts in Game 2, and the Yankees lost 4-2 as Rodon lost his energy and control in the fourth inning, allowing four runs.

Judge, Soto, Cole and Rodon are four of the five highest-paid Yankees this season. Giancarlo Stanton rounds out the top five, taking early batting practice alone before Game 3 at Kauffman Stadium after going 1-for-8 in two games in the Bronx.

That quintet earned $166 million that season — more than the Royals' entire payroll and about 55 percent of the Yankees' entire payroll. This is also a top-heavy team. And either their stars will awaken or the Yankees won't come out on top.