Stanton is under contract through 2028, but Soto is a free agent this offseason. The former knows how important it is that the Yankees make re-signing Soto priority No. 1 this offseason. “We need him to stay. He’s going to stay. We need to bring it home, and then we’ll bring him home also,” Stanton said to Bryan Hoch after the clinching Game 5.

CLEVELAND — With every step of his Yankees journey, Giancarlo Stanton was never enough. This October, he’s the biggest reason why the Yankees are heading back to the World Series for the first time since 2009 — and why he was named MVP of the American League Championship Series.

With a three-run homer by Juan Soto in the 10th inning of Game 5, the Yankees return to the World Series for the first time since 2009.