It was right after the end of this season that team veteran C.C. Sabathia chose to retire, while players like Severino and Tanaka Masahiro were plagued by injuries. As a supplement to the pitcher lineup, the New York Yankees signed Zack Wheeler from the New York Mets, offering him a 5-year, $118 million contract.

Just when the excited Yankees fans were full of hope, wanting to see the team create a super dynasty with four championships or even five, a major global crisis arrived—affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Major League Baseball was forced to halt, not officially resuming until July, with only 60 games played.

The Yankees team was also severely hit, with many key players unable to play due to infection, forcing them to play with a weakened lineup in the playoffs, and ultimately losing to the dark horse Tampa Bay Rays who made it all the way to the World Series, regrettably failing to complete the four-peat achievement.

And the following 2021 season was the same, with the lingering effects of COVID, coupled with the gradual aging of some key players from the three-peat period, the Yankees fell into a "post-dynasty syndrome" state. This season, although they entered the playoffs as a wildcard team, they were eliminated in the sudden death stage without achieving anything significant.

If Lin Guanglai were to film a documentary after his player career ends, then the 2022 season would surely be an object of extensive coverage for many:

This season, Lin Guanglai, who couldn't achieve anything in the playoffs for two consecutive years, was comparable to the returning Michael Jordan in 1996, having an extremely frightening career year—

On the pitching side, he amassed 24 wins, tying the single-season record for most wins since 1980, with all statistical categories ranking first in the league; on the batting side, he hit 52 homers in a single season, setting a record for Asia players' single-season performance.

This series of records also helped him clinch his career's fifth Cy Young Award, a feat never before accomplished by any player under 30; if it weren't for aesthetic fatigue, plus his teammate Aaron Judge hitting record-breaking 62 homers, Lin Guanglai would have undoubtedly won the MVP for this season.

Under his leadership, the Yankees also broke the regular-season win record jointly held by the 1908 Chicago Cubs and the 2001 Seattle Mariners, achieving 120 wins in a single season, creating new history.

Most importantly, in this year's playoffs, the Yankees replicated the path to victory from 2017: sweeping the Cleveland Indians 3-0 in the division series; sweeping the Houston Astros 4-0 in the American League Championship Series, almost effortlessly securing a World Series ticket;

And this year's Yankees World Series opponent was still Bryce Harper, only the jersey he wore became the San Diego Padres' attire—after his contract with the Nationals ended, Harper chose to join the rebuilt San Diego Padres, and this year he delivered his career masterpiece, indisputably elected as the National League MVP.

But for Bryce Harper, this World Series experience remained bitter: Lin Guanglai stood like a tall mountain in front of players born between 1990-1995—a 4-0 sweep once again, the New York Yankees won the championship flawlessly, claiming the 2022 World Series crown, achieving the king's return.

Before the 2023 season began, Lin Guanglai signed a staggering world-shocking renewal contract with the New York Yankees: under the gaze of over fifty thousand fans in the Bronx, he solemnly signed his name on that 10-year, $730 million contract.

This is the largest contract in Major League Baseball and indeed in North American sports history, without any objections from anyone—the reason is simple: Lin Guanglai has proven through his consistent performance over the years that he is worth the value of this contract.

Of course, to give the team flexibility in reinforcements, Lin Guanglai and the Yankees agreed on deferred payments: over the next 10 years, he would only receive several million US dollars annually, with the remainder deferred.

If there truly exists a script about Lin Guanglai's story, then perhaps this script would be like Michael Jordan's, resting for two years after the initial three-peat, then achieving another three-peat; but life is life because you never know what will happen next. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

At the start of the 2023 season, the Yankees had a smooth beginning, with new players performing excellently and veterans cooperating seamlessly, looking like it might be the start of consecutive championships again;

However, during a game in July, Lin Guanglai felt discomfort in his elbow during a pitch and was subsequently substituted and sent to the hospital for examination; the results were clear: elbow ligament damage—in other words, Lin Guanglai needed Tommy John surgery.

For modern pitchers, Tommy John surgery is almost an inevitable step in their careers; pitchers like Nolan Ryan, who never underwent surgery in their lifetime, are extremely rare; especially for Lin Guanglai, who began pitching intensely at age 15 and played full seasons almost every year, being injury-free for over ten years was already a miracle.

Even for hitters, it takes at least 8-9 months to return after Tommy John surgery; pitchers require even 12-15 months; in other words, Lin Guanglai's 2023 season was over from that moment.

Losing their backbone was akin to the sky falling for this Yankees team, coupled with sporadic injuries to several other critical cores, resulting in a drastic slide in performance:

Their record plummeted in the latter half, ultimately freezing at 82 wins and 80 losses—this was the Yankees' worst performance in the last five years, and their first absence from the playoffs since 2017.

Of course, it's not all bad news: with Lin Guanglai's active cooperation, his recovery is progressing quickly; although he can't pitch yet in the new season, he can at least return to the field—since entering the professional baseball system, he seemingly hasn't exclusively focused on batting duty.

This off-season, his workload will be heavy, and he is ready to show the world what Lin Guanglai is like when hitting with full force!