JOINING THE PARTY
After a slow start, Stanton getting in on the Yanks’ fun
There are plenty of positives across a 10-3 start to the Yankees’ season, notably Anthony Volpe’s large step forward and Carlos Rodon’s solid first three outings.
But one of the most encouraging signs emerged again Wednesday, when on an otherwise quiet night for the offense Giancarlo Stanton blasted his fourth home run of the year.
It is far too early to proclaim that the former MVP has been fixed, but a 2023 anchor has at least shown the potential that he can be a weapon — and the potential that the remaining $100-plus million on his contract won’t be eaten.
“I’m in a good place now,” Stanton said of his swing after the Yankees lost the series finale to the Marlins on Wednesday. “Keep it rolling.”
Stanton arrived in camp with a noticeably slimmer body, had a strong spring and has awakened from a slow start, now sporting an .894 OPS across his first 11 games.
A lineup that already features Juan Soto and Aaron Judge would be nearly unstoppable if a 34-year-old Stanton is able to play like a 28-year-old Stanton. The Yankees are well aware.
“He looks scary in the box right now for sure,” Marcus Stroman said. “Obviously anytime you got G like that, it’s definitely a big plus for us.”
“He’s a grinder. He’s been grinding every day,” Soto said. “To see him in the cage — he’s taking really serious swings and everything I think. And now he’s getting payoff.”
“Man, he looks good, right?” manager Aaron Boone said. “He’s been in the at-bats all year. I think he’s now getting into a pretty good timing and rhythm up there. Looks really good.”
The question will become whether Stanton continues to look good when the pitching looks better.
Stanton’s home runs have come against a 93 mph sinker, a 93 mph four-seam fastball, a 91 mph four-seamer and an 80 mph curveball. Against higher velocities — at least 94 mph — he has gone 1-for-10 with a single in the tiny sample size of this season.
Last season, though, offered plenty of sample size that showed an older Stanton was struggling as the pitches gained more zip. Against any type of fastball that registered at least 94 mph last season, Stanton went 17-for-106 (.160) with a .613 OPS. He hit six homers in that subset, just two of which were pulled.
Perhaps Stanton, who missed half of April and all of May last season with a hamstring strain, was not healthy and not able to get his bat into the zone quickly enough. Boone, in praising his DH, quickly mentioned “health” in evaluating how much better Stanton has looked this season.
It is also possible that Stanton has beaten up on lower-octane arms in the first few weeks of the season and still has to prove himself against the faster fastballs.
That might not happen immediately. The Yankees begin a three-game set in Cleveland on Friday and are not expected to see an opposing arm that breaks radar guns, with Carlos Carrasco, Triston McKenzie and Logan Allen expected to start for the Guardians.
Last season, it felt as if Stanton might not reach the end of a contract that runs through at least 2027.
There are plenty of unknowns that linger about his viability, but a strong start is notable even with caveats involved.
“I’ve felt good,” Stanton said. “I feel like I’ve put together a solid foundation of at-bats.”