Boone: Stanton can still be ‘dangerous’

TAMPA — Giancarlo Stanton checked his first spring homer off his to-do list on Saturday, driving a Paolo Espino fastball over the wall in left at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

A thunderous crack of the bat sent the ball flying 425 feet at 116 mph and scored two for the Yankees in the third inning of a 10-9 win over the Blue Jays. A no-doubter, Stanton took a peek at the ball before jogging around the bases.

While the home run — and the noise it made — grabbed attention, Aaron Boone focused on some of Stanton’s other recent at-bats when asked about the slugger postgame.

“I feel like the at-bats the last few games, he’s been in a pretty good spot. I feel like he’s just missed a handful,” the manager said. “I feel like he’s been getting off those swings and, for the most part, being in control of his at-bats, which I like to see with him. If he’s controlling his at-bats and not getting off timing and chasing, then he’s as dangerous as they come.”

Boone is right: Stanton has been hitting well lately.

While he is only batting .250 overall this spring, Stanton has picked up multiple hits in three of his last four games. That stretch included two doubles, 11 total bases and two strikeouts. It’s a small stretch of success for a 34-year-old in desperate need of a healthy, bounce-back season.

Stanton, who has been hitting fifth or sixth when the Yankees use their best lineups this spring, slashed just .191/.275/.420 with 24 home runs and 60 RBI in 2023 while a hamstring strain limited him to 101 games. The former MVP has produced a .202/.286/.442 slash line and league-average 100 OPS+ since the start of the 2022 season, and fastballs have been a problem for him over that time.