Stanton expects to thrive in more familiar surroundings

TAMPA, Fla. — Giancarlo Stanton delivered the answer deadpan.

The biggest difference he found last season, his first in the Bronx, after eight seasons with the Marlins?

“Playing games that matter past May 7,” Stanton said, drawing laughter.

A hyperbole, but not by much. The best Marlins team Stanton was a part of was his first, which went 80-82 in 2010.

That, of course, was far from the biggest difference Stanton, who came to the Yankees in a mega-trade in December 2017, experienced in New York.

The numbers overall for the 29-year-old outfielder/DH were far from terrible — he hit .266 with a .852 OPS, 38 homers and 100 RBIs — but they were still a significant step down from his NL MVP 2017 season with the Marlins when he hit .281 with a 1.007 OPS, 59 homers and 132 RBIs.

“Got one year in the division, in the league under my belt,” Stanton said of the difficulties many players go through switching leagues. “So that (makes) things more comfortable in that aspect in terms of facing some of these guys and teams again more often.”

Stanton, who struck out 211 times in 617 at-bats and was on the receiving end of plenty of Bronx boos as a result, wouldn’t go so far as to use that as a reason for his lengthy struggles last season. But Aaron Boone said

there is something to it.

“I think the one thing with Giancarlo that we noticed, as we dug into things, the more he sees a pitcher, he’s one of those guys who really benefits from that,” Boone said. “He gets a pretty significant spike across the board as he starts to see guys, more so than your normal person. Hopefully being more comfortable in the American League East should be something that benefits him.”

What Stanton did cop to somewhat was being affected by a tight left hamstring much of the season’s second half. The timing was not ideal as the Yankees endured a handful of injuries at the time, headlined by Aaron Judge spending July 27-Sept. 14 on the DL with a chip fracture of the right wrist. That meant Stanton playing more than Boone would have liked, not that the player requested rest.

“There would have been some more off days in there (but) he wasn’t coming out,” Boone said. “I think that’s one of those things we loved about him last year, his ability to post when he wasn’t perfect and his commitment to posting knowing, ‘Hey, we’re a little beat up right now and I’m good enough to go.’ ”

Said Stanton: “That

wasn’t the best for me, but I wasn’t worried about that. If I could go out and help us the slightest bit I was going to be out there. But that was quite the factor.”

As for the booing, Stanton shrugged.

“You don’t worry about that stuff,” he said. “I know how hard I work and what I was trying to do out there. So that’s a non-factor.”

Stanton’s approach and preparation behind the scenes last year impressed his new teammates, Judge in particular. His reaction to the rough stretches did, too.

“He worked his tail off,” Boone said. “He really earned the respect of his teammates the way he commanded himself all year.”

Stanton is the midst of a record 13-year, $325 million contract, the largest in professional sports and one many thought would be broken by either Manny Machado or Bryce Harper — or both — this offseason. It hasn’t happened yet and Stanton, like many players, expressed concern with how the market has failed to develop the past two winters.

“It’s nothing like what I’ve seen since I’ve played, offseasons like this,” Stanton said. “I think there’s some issues there that need to be addressed. In terms of the contract, cool, I’ll be happy for them (if they surpass his deal). Hopefully they can get signed. I don’t know what the deal is.”