We spent years writing the eulogy for Giancarlo Stanton’s career. We called him immobile, we called him a payroll anchor, and frankly, we called him finished. But if 2025 taught us anything, it’s that you should never bet against a man who can accidentally hit a baseball 118 mph. The 36-year-old slugger didn’t just bounce back last season for the Yankees; he turned back the clock and reminded the entire American League that when he connects, physics still breaks.
Stanton’s resurgence wasn’t about volume—it was about violence. Limited to just 77 games, the veteran designated hitter put up numbers that look like typos. In a mere 281 plate appearances, he slashed .273/.350/.594, launching 24 home runs and driving in 66 runs. That is a 162-game pace of 50+ homers. His 158 wRC+ meant he wasn’t just good; he was 58% better than the league average and arguably the most dangerous per-at-bat hitter in the lineup not named Aaron Judge.
The Statcast Numbers Are Laughable (In a Good Way)
If you think this was a fluke, look under the hood. Stanton didn’t luck into these homers; he bludgeoned them into existence. He ranked among the absolute elite in the metrics that actually measure power, posting an Average Exit Velocity of 94.4 mph and a Hard-Hit Rate of 55.2%.
Perhaps the most absurd stat is his Barrel Rate of 22.1%. For context, a “good” barrel rate is usually around 10%. Stanton is essentially doubling that, ensuring that when he puts the ball in play, it’s usually screaming towards the bleachers.
Sure, the swing-and-miss is still part of the package. He posted a 34.2% strikeout rate and a 37.4% whiff rate, meaning he is going to walk back to the dugout frustrated a third of the time. But surprisingly, he wasn’t chasing junk. His 25.3% Chase Rate was better than league average, proving that he wasn’t expanding the zone—he was just missing pitches in it. When you walk 10.3% of the time and slug nearly .600, nobody cares about the strikeouts.
The October Disappearing Act Remains a Concern for Giancarlo Stanton
However, we can’t write the love letter without addressing the heartbreak. For all his regular-season heroics, Stanton vanished when the lights got brightest in October. After looking like “Mr. November” in 2024 with a 185 wRC+, he plummeted to a 52 wRC+ and a .192 average in the 2025 postseason. It was a jarring regression that left a sour taste in fans’ mouths, reminding us that timing is everything.
But let’s keep perspective. Entering 2026, the Yankees aren’t asking Stanton to carry the franchise. With Cody Bellinger back on a five-year deal and Juan Soto in his prime, Stanton just needs to be the scariest No. 5 hitter on the planet. If he can give the Bombers 80 games of this “vintage” production again, the rest of the AL East is in serious trouble.
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