NEW YORK -- There will be no bottles popped this time, not after the Yankees celebrated twice already this month, toasting their entry into the postseason and having secured the American League East title for the second time in three seasons.

But the Yankees (93-68) have now clinched the best record in the AL, a development secured by the Guardians' 4-3 loss to the Astros on Saturday evening. It ensures that the Yanks will enjoy home-field advantage throughout the AL playoffs.

Asked recently if the Yankees are the team to beat heading into the playoffs, Giancarlo Stanton replied: "We'd better be. That's the point."

After Sunday's regular-season finale, the Yankees' next game will come in the American League Division Series opener at Yankee Stadium on Oct. 5.

The Yanks' record is the third-best in the Majors, trailing only the Dodgers (96-64) and the Phillies (94-67).

"We've got it, from top to bottom," Stanton said. "It's not about what's on paper, though. It's about coming up, showing up. This won't mean much in about a week when it's time to get to work."

That performance came after the Yankees missed the postseason altogether in 2023, narrowly avoiding the club's first losing season in decades by squeaking out an 82-80 record in a campaign that general manager Brian Cashman referred to as a "disaster."

New York's postseason hopes, of course, ride heavily on the shoulders of Aaron Judge and Juan Soto.

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Judge appears primed for his second AL Most Valuable Player Award, having belted a Major League-leading 58 homers through Saturday's action, while Soto's acquisition bolstered the lineup with a reliable on-base threat.

"We missed it last year, which definitely disappointed everybody in this room," Judge said. "When you wear these pinstripes and play in this stadium, you're expected to win. We came up short [in 2023]. We want to make a statement that it isn't going to happen again."