With the New York Yankees making several offseason moves to bolster their roster, some of their current talents are primed for big years in 2019. Giancarlo Stanton, for one, could potentially have a monster 2019. Amid a career-high strikeout total, as well as a stretch of carrying the Yankees in Aaron Judge’s absence, perhaps the only thing Stanton needs is to be consistent.
2018 Stats (New York Yankees):
158 Games, .266/.343/.509/.852, 39 HR, 100 RBI, 70 BB, 211 SO, 102 Runs Scored, 4.0 WAR
2018 was Giancarlo’s first season in the Bronx, as well as his first in the American League. It seemed like he would continue his MVP 2017 season right off the bat when he hit two home runs in his Yankees debut in Toronto. The first would come off future teammate J.A. Happ. After that, he would go on an April cold stretch that saw him strike out 43 times, including two platinum sombreros in one week.
Once the weather began to heat up, so did Stanton, who hit .268 in May and .298 in June. In July, he hit .323, along with a .360 On-Base Percentage as he more or less carried the team during the summer, especially when teammate Aaron Judge went down with a chip fracture in his right wrist.
Stanton would finish his inaugural season in the AL with 39 home runs and a 100 RBI, both leading the team. This comes off a 2017 season that saw him hit 59 homers and drive in 132 on his way to winning the NL MVP.
Going into his second year in the Bronx, Stanton is in position to once again be one of the biggest power threats in the league. His main problem in 2018 was his consistency, with slumps at the start and end of the season, with a summer-long hot streak in between. Along with a career-high 211 strikeouts, as well as issues in his hamstring that pushed him more into the DH role, those were his only real issues in 2018.
With a whole year of playing in pinstripes under his belt, expect Stanton to be more consistent in 2019. If he can continue putting up the power numbers he is known for, as well as cut down on the strikeouts, he could help lead the offense back into the postseason.