The Yankees still have their sights set on a World Series appearance this year despite not making too many big moves at the trade deadline. The acquisition of Jazz Chisholm has made an instant impact in multiple categories, not to mention bullpen arm Mark Leiter Jr.
However, general manager Brian Cashman referenced a number of players returning from the injured list who would act as de facto deal additions, and veteran slugger Giancarlo Stanton played a part in that equation. Stanton recently returned from a hamstring injury that sidelined him for over a month.
The Yankees Need the Pre-Injury Version of Stanton
The 34-year-old was putting together exciting bounce-back numbers before the injury, currently hitting .241/.297/.475. He had an on-base percentage above 30% for the first time in two years, but that number has dipped below after not seeing any live action for weeks.
Stanton hosts a 117 wRC+, suggesting he is 17% better than the average MLB hitter. His batting average has increased substantially compared to the past two years, and his 18 homers and 45 RBIs have made a positive impact. In the end, he could be the difference between the Yankees making a deep playoff push or experiencing an early exit. He has the capacity to change the course of a game in the blink of an eye; all it takes is one poorly located pitch for him to put runs on the board.
Hitting With RISP
The Yankees have Juan Soto, Aaron Judge, and Austin Wells batting just ahead of him, giving him plenty of opportunities to capitalize with runners in scoring position. This season, hitting .273/.341/.545 with runners in scoring position, hosting a 148 wRC+. Those are the types of metrics that define a clutch hitter, and the Yankees will certainly need more of that as the regular season winds down over the next two months.
Of course, Stanton doesn’t make an impact defensively, but he ranks in the 94th percentile or better in xSLG, average exit velocity, barrel percentage, and hard-hit percentage. His slugging metrics are by far the best in baseball, but he swings at a significant number of pitches out of the zone, which does hurt his numbers.
His O-Swing% percentage sits at 31.4%, a number that represents how many times a batter swings at balls outside the strike zone. It is evident that the Yankees want him to be more aggressive, which has seen that number rocket to its highest level since 2012.
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Nonetheless, Stanton simply needs to see more pitches to help him find his groove again, but it seems as if he’s lost the cleanup spot to Wells, who’s been extremely effective in that role, and the Yankees need a player with solid plate discipline hitting behind Soto and Judge.