Giancarlo Stanton Triggers His Bonus Clause For Winning The ALCS MVP

The New York Yankees are headed to the World Series thanks to the heroics of two sluggers in Game Five and throughout the entire American League Championship Series—Giancarlo Stanton and Juan Soto. Stanton hit the game-tying two-run home run in the sixth inning, and Soto sealed the victory with his three-run bomb in the tenth inning.

Only one of them could take the honor of being named ALCS MVP, and that distinction went to Stanton. In addition to the trophy, he earned a $250,000 bonus. The 13-year, $325 million deal he signed that commenced in 2015 calls for the following bonuses: $50,000 each for Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, and All-Star appearance, $100,000 for winning the league MVP, $250,000 for the LCS MVP, and $500,000 for the World Series MVP. Since signing the contract, he has been named an All-Star three times and won both the National League MVP and a Silver Slugger Award in 2017. Adding the 2024 ALCS MVP Award brings his bonus earnings total up to $550,000.

Stanton collected only four hits in the five-game series, but all four were important home runs. He went deep in the seventh inning of Game One off Erik Sabrowski to extend the Yankees’ lead to 5-1. In the eighth inning of Game Three, he homered off Cleveland’s star closer Emmanuel Clase to give New York a 4-3 lead, though the Guardians would win the game, 7-5. His three-run shot off Cade Smith in Game Four extended their lead to 6-2. In yesterday’s clincher, he tied the score at 2-2 with a two-run dinger off Tanner Bibee, who had been cruising into the sixth inning.

The Yankees wouldn’t be American League champs without his four homers, but whether or not he deserved the ALCS MVP is another matter. He finished the series 4-18 with three walks, giving him a .222/.333/.889 batting line. However, Soto went 7-19 with three home runs, a double, and four walks, hitting .368/.478/.895.

As clutch as Stanton’s home runs were, it was Soto’s blast that won the game yesterday. According to Win Probability Added, Soto was responsible for 0.81 wins in the series whereas Stanton gets credit for 0.60.

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Soto is finishing out his final year of arbitration eligibility before he becomes the most highly-anticipated free agent of the coming offseason. He is playing this season on a one-year, $31 million contract. There have not been any awards bonuses reported as part of his deal.

Statistically, Soto deserved the ALCS MVP Award more than Stanton did, but only one of those players could have received a monetary reward for winning it. Stanton should get Soto a nice gift for usurping his rightful honor—not that he’ll need anyone to buy him anything after he signs a contract in the neighborhood of $500 million this winter.

Before that can happen, Stanton, Soto, and the rest of the Yankees will try to win the World Series—and Stanton will attempt to trigger that $500,000 World Series MVP bonus.