Nick Swisher boldly declares that the Yankees are ready to defeat the Astros and become champions again

Nick Swisher, a former Guardian, Brave, and Yankee, believes that the Yankees now have what it takes to defeat the Astros and finally get out of that ALCS slump. Nick always considered stepping inside the Yankee Stadium as a testament to being with his family, and it was a tremendous honor to wear the pinstripe jersey.

"We were joined by NickSwisher to talk about the future of the Yankees and a whole lot more" - TalkinYanks

"It's only a matter of time until we burst through, beat the Houston Astros and end up winning the World Series" - NickSwisher

Nick went on to claim that the Yanks did major good by re-signing Aaron Judge, as he could become the X-factor for the ball club. Carlos Rodon was another major addition to the roster, as he has performed supremely well over the last two seasons, earning him a call-up to the All-Star Game two years in a row.

The Yankees need to win the title

13 years on, and the Yankees still haven't reached the epitome of baseball since Derek Jeter last took them to the World Series title in 2009. The Astros have been the Yanks' kryptonite, preventing them from making a successful run to the World Series year after year.

"13 years ago today, the Yankees were 2009 World Series Champions." - snyyankees

The Yanks will place all of their hopes in some of the team's star players. The team is well-equipped in every department of the game and is now boasting of having the best pitching rotation going into next season. Aaron Judge was named the team's new captain, LHP Carlos Rodon was lured toward the Yanks, first baseman Anthony Rizzo was given a new contract, and Frankie Montas was retained.

It seems all the right moves were made by the Yankee management to propel the ballclub towards that elusive World Series title. They appear to be on a 20-year cycle and may be about to embark on another run if they stick to the strategy that helped them win championships in the late 1970s and late 1990s.

The approach has always been to:

(1) Develop your own talent, which can be used both as the team's tenacious core player and for trades

(2) Execute smart moves

(3) Rely on free agency to fill in the final few crucial gaps.

It will be interesting to see how the Yanks manage to turn a strong offseason into a World Series victory.