​MILWAUKEE, WI – JUNE 18: Brayan Rocchio #4 of the Cleveland Guardians talks to Jackson Chourio #11 of the Milwaukee Brewers and Travis Bazzana #37 of the Cleveland Guardians during the game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Thursday, June 18, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Kylie Bridenhagen/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images Accustomed to the role of the favorites throughout their history, the Yankees were not favored against Tampa Bay in the ALDS and indeed bounced out early from the 2026 postseason, leaving the Rays, Guardians, Dodgers, and Brewers as the four clubs still battling for a championship.Finding a rooting interest after your team is eliminated can be a tricky thing, and everyone has their process. Opting out is perfectly reasonable in its own right if it’s just time for you to begin the offseason baseball hiatus. But for those who watch, the Yankees left their fans in the role of cheering for the underdog on either side of the bracket. Generally, that’s the case for most people, but here it ties into the specific relationships with each of these teams, not because of who they are, but because of who they’re facing.Before getting to the specific points regarding the Brewers and Guardians, it hit me just now that they represent the two other organizations one of the more recently honored Yankee legends played for in CC Sabathia. Inducted into Monument Park in September, Sabathia started his career with Cleveland before a brief and incredibly successful period in Milwaukee, ultimately signing with the Yankees and being an integral part of that 2009 championship-winning squad. (CC’s son, Carsten, was also drafted by the Brewers this past July.) The Hall of Famer has already stated his obvious enthusiasm for his two former clubs who are still contending for a title.Nothing would make me happier than a Cleveland vs. Milwaukee World Series 🙏🏾 And no I wouldn’t pick a side 😂— CC Sabathia (@CC_Sabathia) October 11, 2026Interestingly, although the Rays are a division rival, one could argue the rivalry with the Guardians would be even more latent—after all, no teams from the same league have played each other in the postseason as often as these two. Nevertheless, the seven playoff meetings between New York and Cleveland—five of them finishing with the Yankees advancing, including the last four—haven’t built as much animosity as you’d expect between these two franchises.It’s kind of hard to hold a grudge against a team they’ve been able to beat three times in the playoffs since the 2020 campaign and once more not so long ago in 2017. One might even argue some of the best Yankee memories in the postseason since winning their last World Series have come against Cleveland. Furthermore, this is such an odd Cleveland team that’s confusing, reminding you of the University of Iowa football team, continuously finding ways to win des