Stanton yearning for a World Series title

Giancarlo Stanton is hoping his sixth season with the Yankees has a ring to it. After all, that’s why he requested a trade from the Marlins after his MVP 2017 season. The four-time All-Star during his time in Miami sought a winning situation, and while he has technically found one in New York, he still has yet to capture that elusive World Series title.

The 33-year-old has had some strong postseason performances — 11 homers in 27 career postseason games — after a rocky beginning to his career in pinstripes (he heard the boo-birds during his first home game as a Yankee).

However, with the clock winding down on the prime of his career, the Los Angeles native says a championship is all that matters.

“I need to get it done (win a World Series),” Stanton said Tuesday at George M Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. “But at the same time, we need to get it done. I think it’s a goal for everybody. You put personal mindset, personal goals to it, so of course that’s what I came here for. That’s what I’m here to achieve every year.

“As the years go on the pressure gets higher to get one, so, whether that’s for me personally or the fans or how far away we are from 2009 (the Yankees’ last World Series title) it all comes hand and hand.”

The Bombers are reusing a similar formula to last season with familiar faces all around the diamond. With the exception of inking Carlos Rodon to a six-year, $162 million contract to form arguably the game’s best rotation, it’s more or less the same team that was swept by the Astros in last season’s ALCS.

Stanton feels unlike last year, this group can accomplish the ultimate goal of winning the organization’s 28th World Series.

“We’re in a good spot,” Stanton said. “It’s the same. It’s very similar. We have all the pieces to get it done. So we’re laying the foundation and understand the ultimate goal is a championship but we haven’t got there. [We’ll take it] one day at a time, we’ll hit bumps ... and we’ll have good times, but (it’ll) all set us up for October.”

A hot topic of conversation every year is whether or not manager Aaron Boone should play his AllStar in the outfield on a somewhat regular basis. There’s no doubt the Bombers’ best offensive configuration includes Stanton somewhere in the field opening up the DH spot to one of the extra infielders whether that be Josh Donaldson, Gleyber Torres or DJ LeMahieu.