New York Yankees‘ star Giancarlo Stanton has struggled to replicate his stellar 2021 season performance, causing concern amongst fans and analysts. Stanton produced some memorable seasons after joining the Yankees from the Miami Marlins ahead of the 2018 season, even though injuries marred several of them.
Unfortunately, his efficiency and output have taken a downturn over the last two seasons. In the previous year, he hit .211 with a .297 OBP over 110 games. This season hasn’t been much better, with Stanton managing just .203 with a .277 OBP across 58 games, inclusive of 15 homers, 39 RBIs, and a 94 wRC+. Significantly, this is the first season Stanton’s performance has dipped below average, despite his career-low 23.8% strikeout rate.
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Stanton’s Role With the Yankees: From Field to DH
With injury concerns and an increasing worry about him missing time, the Yankees have transitioned Stanton into their primary DH role. They’ve made some attempts to have him play defensively, allotting him 160.1 innings in the outfield. However, this falls short of the 648 innings he played in 2018 and the whopping 1312.1 innings he served with Miami in 2017. It’s fair to assert that Stanton’s defensive contribution is nearly non-existent at this stage of his career, despite him still proving effective when given the opportunity.
Delving into Stanton’s Performance Splits
An intriguing statistic emerges when one scrutinizes Stanton’s splits: he performs noticeably better during day games. Across 78 daytime at-bats, Stanton boasts a .256 average with a .341 OBP, including six homers, 17 RBIs, and 10 walks.
Contrast this with his nighttime performance, where he’s hitting .174 with a .238 OBP, including 10 homers and 24 RBIs over 138 at-bats. For reasons unknown, Stanton seems to favor daytime play, whether due to natural lighting or some other elusive factors. It could be something as arbitrary as the fluorescent lighting in Yankee Stadium negatively impacting his performance, especially considering his home metrics are considerably worse than away games.
Indeed, Stanton’s numbers at Yankee Stadium tell a grim story: a .193 average with a .262 OBP and .683 OPS, including eight homers and 22 RBIs across 114 at-bats. In contrast, his performance away from Yankee Stadium looks somewhat better, with a .216 average, a .292 OBP, and .792 OPS, alongside eight homers and 19 RBIs.
These insights into Stanton’s stats help illustrate his occasional struggles. Despite this, it seems the root cause of his difficulties remains the inconsistency caused by his recurring injuries, disrupting his rhythm and, subsequently, his production.