When Hal Steinbrenner took the stage late Saturday night to accept the American League pennant-winning trophy, Yankees fans gathered behind the visiting dugout at Progressive Field were already thinking about the future.

The Yankees had just punched their ticket to the franchise’s first World Series in 15 years, but their fans wanted to make sure the superstar who delivered the final blow in Game 5 of the ALCS would stick around for another October.

“Re-sign Soto!” they sang, echoing a familiar refrain that echoed through Yankee Stadium throughout the second half of the season.

They weren’t the only ones.

“I think we should re-sign Soto, $700 million,” Jazz Chisholm Jr. said. later in the clubhouse, amid a raucous champagne and beer party. ‘That’s my number. Final offer.”

Others were a little more subtle, although the message remained the same.

‘We need him to stay. He stays,” said ALCS MVP Giancarlo Stanton. “We’ve got to bring it (a championship) home and then we’ll bring it home.”

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Of course, that will all happen once the World Series is over and we head into winter.

But Soto made sure the Yankees have a chance to win it all first after his heroics in a classic Soto at-bat in the 10th inning. He found himself in a 1-1 battle against Guardians right-hander Hunter Gaddis and then committed an error on two sliders and two changeups. He knew he was “all over every pitch,” but spoiled the off-speed pitches while waiting for an error that would allow him to do damage.

It finally came on the seventh pitch of the at-bat, a 95 mph fastball at the top of the zone that Soto jumped on and skied to center field. Some of his teammates were concerned it would be too high to get out, but the ball kept floating and ended up behind the wall for a three-run shot.

“The more pitches he sees, the more dangerous he becomes, just downloading the release point, the timing and everything,” Stanton said. “It looked like he was taking a couple of those balls out of the catcher’s glove. Incredible moment and exactly who he is.”

Halfway down the first base line, Soto turned toward the Yankees dugout and pounded his chest as his teammates hit the dirt in a frenzy.

“It felt like I was in a coffin after he hit it because I was dead,” Chisholm said. “My body just went from having a heart attack to not.”

The Yankees acquired Soto for moments like this, and Soto enjoyed it.

“Thank you to everyone involved in this trade,” Soto said, standing on the mound amid the on-field celebration. “I am very happy with that. I’m really happy to be here. Traded me to one of the best teams I’ve ever played on in my life.”