New York Yankees: Give Giancarlo Stanton the credit he deserves

New York Yankees, Giancarlo Santon
Aug 8, 2018; Chicago, IL, USA; New York Yankees left fielder Giancarlo Stanton (27) runs the bases after hitting a grand slam home run against the Chicago White Sox during the second inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees have one of the best players in baseball and there are fans who aren’t giving him the credit he deserves. Giancarlo Stanton is one of the premier outfielders in the major leagues and good news – he’s coming back for the next homestand.

I get it, the Yankee fans have the “what have you done for me recently?” mindset but when Stanton is at 100%, he’s absolutely terrifying at the plate. This is a guy who won MVP in 2017 with 59 home runs and 132 runs batted in. His first year with the Yankees he struggled, but still hit 38 long with 100 RBIs.

Not only a dominant force at the plate, but Stanton doesn’t get the defensive recognition he deserves. He’s far above average in left field and makes every routine play. Stanton has a career .980 fielding percentage and has only committed 44 errors in 2228 defensive chances.

Manager Aaron Boone has mentioned a timetable for Stanton’s return where he said the team expects him to return on September 16 and from then on he’ll be an everyday player.

“He got a lot of outfield reps and a couple innings worth of at-bats where he saw a lot of pitches again,” said Boone. “He’s been seeing a lot of pitching, a lot of at-bats. He’s continued to feel good about how he’s responding to it all.”

The New York Yankees are anticipating a strong return for Stanton heading into the postseason. Having his bat back in the lineup will be huge for the Yankees.