If the Yankees have any chance of making it to the World Series, they need the majority of their offensive powerhouses healthy. Of course, Aaron Judge and Juan Soto remaining 100% heading into the playoffs is a requirement, but veteran slugger Giancarlo Stanton plays an important role in the Yankees’ batting order.
The Yankees Are Getting Solid Results From Stanton
Despite the fact that Stanton hasn’t been the primary cleanup hitter over the past few weeks, he’s starting to find his groove again following injury. Stanton missed more than a month due to a hamstring issue, and we’ve seen this story before: problematic numbers upon his return. However, the 34-year-old has looked solid over the past few days, collecting three hits in his last three games, including a pair of doubles and a home run, along with three RBIs.
On the season, Stanton is having a bit of a renaissance. He’s hitting .245/.298/.486, including 19 homers and 48 RBIs, with a 31% strikeout rate, 6.7% walk rate, and 120 wRC+. Coming off his worst professional season with an 89 wRC+, he went from 11% worse than the average MLB hitter to 20% better this year.
Elite Slugging Across the Board
Of course, Giancarlo doesn’t support the Yankees defensively any longer, but he’s a staple in the lineup and remains tremendous in the slugging categories. He ranks in the 98th percentile in average exit velocity, 99th percentile in barrel rate, and 96th percentile in hard-hit rate. In addition, his numbers with runners in scoring position are excellent.
Over 79 at-bats, he’s hitting .278/.345/.544 with a .889 OPS. The Yankees desperately need his bat in the lineup due to his ability to drive runners in, especially during playoff games.
- The Yankees have a wild late-season position battle unfolding
- How the Yankees turned one of the worst pitchers in baseball into a dominant closer
- Yankees’ funky lefty is on fire, quieting the critics
It is a great sign to see Stanton heating up so quickly after missing a large chunk of time between June 22 and July 29. Having split a doubleheader on Saturday, the Yankees will hope to win the series on Sunday afternoon with Marcus Stroman on the mound.