Afterwards, the general manager Cashman and head coach Girardi were interviewed by Gabby, both of whom highly praised the players' performance, attributing the victory to the team's perfect execution. The award ceremony progressed swiftly, quickly reaching the final segment.

"Alright, we have one final segment coming up, which is the presentation of the 2017 American League Championship Series Most Valuable Player award— I think you all know who that person is, shall we shout out his name together?"

As Lauren Gabby said this, she moved from the far left of the stage to Lin Guanglai's side; led by her, over fifty thousand home fans shouted out the same name:

"Lin——!!!!!!"

As a unique Dual Swordsmanship player, Lin Guanglai had an extraordinary performance in this series against the Astros:

In Game 1, the Astros intentionally walked him, but he still managed to advance through stolen bases and teammates' hits, scoring the Yankees' only run;

In Game 2, he took the mound as the starting pitcher, pitched a complete game shutout against the Astros, and even hit a solo home run off Justin Verlander, almost single-handedly securing the second game for the Yankees;

In Game 3, during the blowout against the Astros, he first scored a run for the team and then hit a triple, bringing in 3 RBIs;

In Game 4, he scored another run and hit a record-breaking ninth home run in a single postseason.

Throughout the four games, other players might have had ups and downs or errors, but such things never happened to Lin Guanglai; he is the anchor for the Yankees, and as long as he is there, the team has unlimited potential.

When the Championship Series MVP was confirmed, a group of Lin Guanglai's teammates began to cause a commotion:

They laughed heartily, simultaneously pointing their fingers at Lin Guanglai, and as they shouted "Oi," they jumped directly onto the podium.

With a smile on his face, Lin Guanglai was clearly infected by this atmosphere and finally joined the singing and dancing crowd to celebrate together; it wasn't until the jubilant crowd gradually calmed down that he had time to listen to Gabby's questions.

"Lin, this is your first season in MLB, an unparalleled season— not only have you almost locked in the Cy Young Award in advance, but you're also one of the biggest contenders for the American League MVP; and now, with your outstanding performance leading the Yankees back to the World Series after 8 years, you're also getting the chance to compete for a world championship in your rookie season. What do you have to say about that?"

As Lin Guanglai took the trophy and microphone from the host, "MVP, MVP" chants echoed above Yankee Stadium, almost threatening to pierce a hole in the sky.

As the enthusiastic crowd gradually settled down, Lin Guanglai lightly coughed a few times, took a deep breath, and glanced around the stadium, taking in the cheering crowd, the management, the coach group, the appreciative expressions on his teammates' faces, and the flashing cameras from the sideline reporters.

"First," Lin Guanglai's voice spread throughout the stadium through the PA system, "I want to thank every member of the organization— Hal, our owner, without your full support, we wouldn't have achieved this; Brian, it's your structural construction of the team that made us so strong; Joe and the coaching staff, your daily guidance and strict demands turned us into an invincible iron team."

"And my teammates, my brothers, without each of your efforts and contributions both on and off the field, neither the team nor I could have achieved such success— each of you is the MVP of this series, and this trophy is also dedicated to you!"

Saying this, Lin Guanglai raised the American League Championship Series MVP trophy high towards his teammates, once again eliciting cheers and thunderous applause from the crowd.

"And of course, you, the fans of the New York Yankees— you're always the 10th team member, without your cheers and support, we couldn't have come this far. This championship is for you!"

"But, I promise you," Lin Guanglai paused here, "this American League championship will not be the endpoint for the New York Yankees in the 2017 season. I solemnly promise you here, regardless of who our opponents are in the World Series, I will bring back the 28th World Series championship trophy for the team, turning the Bronx into a sea of joy again and making you the most envied, yet envied fans in the world!"

"The champion will return to the Bronx this October!"

"Ooohh—!!"

Lin Guanglai's championship declaration completely ignited Yankee Stadium, putting the media and reporters on the sideline into a frenzy:

Perhaps due to overwhelming joy, he made such a statement even before the World Series opponents were determined, which was destined to become a headline on many sports sections in the news publications the next day.

The award ceremony within the field ended, but the Yankees players' revelry just started:

The home dressing room became a sea of champagne, with the golden liquid sprayed onto the ceiling, soaking everyone's clothes and hair.

During this process, the experienced champions Sabathia and Gardner instructed the young players on how to spray champagne; and as the MVP, Lin Guanglai received the most enthusiastic "welcome" from his teammates— even with swim goggles on, there was not a dry spot left on his body.

The night of the Yankees' championship quickly passed, as the metropolis of New York woke up from its slumber, ushering in a new wave of celebration:

New York's media went wild, with overwhelming coverage of the Yankees' advancement to the World Series, and the name "Lin Guanglai" was pushed into the spotlight by media promotion, becoming known by people across North America and even globally, even to those who don't watch baseball.

Players, legends, and fans voiced their opinions on social media, especially a tweet from Lin Guanglai that gained tens of thousands of likes and shares.

Shortly thereafter, over a thousand miles away in Chicago, the Yankees' opponents for the World Series were officially confirmed:

The Dodgers, widely recognized as the championship favorites before the playoffs, who secured 103 wins in the 2017 MLB regular season, crushed the Chicago Cubs 11-1 at Wrigley Field, sweeping them with a 4-1 gentlemanly total score, breaking into the World Series again after 29 years.

"Battle of the Giants!"

When the seeds of the two leagues for the 2017 series were set, both fans and reporters' eyes lit up:

West Coast vs. East Coast, Los Angeles vs. New York, Dodgers vs. Yankees, Lin Guanglai vs. Kershaw, Aaron Judge vs. Cody Bellinger (both the same age, joined the league in the same year)... From any angle, this is a perfect showdown.

[The Los Angeles Dodgers should be afraid because the returning Evil Empire will utterly destroy them!]— New York Yankees legendary commentator John Sterling.

[New Yorkers have nothing but money, California's scorching sun will reveal their true form!]— Los Angeles Dodgers legendary commentator Vin Scully.

Represented by the debate on social platforms between legendary commentators from the two teams, the World Series hadn't even started, yet the entire United States was split in two, half belonging to Dodger Blue, and the other half to the Yankees' black and white stripes.

Amidst all the attention, the Yankees players' special flight landed in California, and the World Series was about to begin.