Giancarlo Stanton seems back to his monster-shot self
Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton gestures to the dugout as he runs on his grand slam against the Blue Jays during the third inning of an MLB game at Yankee Stadium on Sunday. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
The Yankees took a few friendly jabs at Giancarlo Stanton after Saturday night’s low-flying homer required video confirmation that it cleared the short porch in right.
The ball clipped the top of the wall, then kicked off a fan’s glove, causing some confusion about the 349-foot liner, which turned out to be a home run in the Bronx and nowhere else, according to Statcast.
Afterward, Aaron Judge playfully told Stanton to hit it a little farther next time so they wouldn’t have to go through the whole review process.
Well, the joke was on the Blue Jays in Sunday’s series finale, and they didn’t find it quite so funny. Or need to bother with any replays, either, because Stanton’s no-doubter of a grand slam in the third inning sounded like a thunderclap before rocketing off the facing of the second deck in leftfield.
When I asked Stanton if Judge’s kidding around maybe spurred some of the extra muscle on that homer, his team-leading third of the season, he smiled. And for the record, he didn’t say no.
“No review on that one,” Stanton said, grinning. “Just watch it.”
Everyone in the stadium did. And it was spectacular. If not for that concrete deck, Stanton’s blast would have easily sailed beyond the estimated 417 feet, with an exit velo of 110.6 mph.
The lethal swing provided all the offense the Yankees needed in their 8-3 victory over the Blue Jays and again served notice that Stanton is not only feeling like himself but more akin to the best possible game-wrecking version people imagined back in spring training.
And from a mental standpoint, the ever-streaky Stanton couldn’t be in a better place at the moment. After years of us psychoanalyzing his slumps, constantly updating his health status and trying to figure out if he can be a consistent run-producer again, Stanton supplied the truest window into his mindset right after demolishing that perfectly teed-up fastball from Jays starter Bowden Francis.
As the 40,569 fans rose to their feet, Stanton stood rock-still and studied the ball’s flight. Then, as he turned to run, he flipped the bat toward the Yankees’ dugout, where his teammates were going wild.
“That’s a moment where the inning is building, and when you hit a four-ball there, that’s a major blow in the game,” manager Aaron Boone said. “G’s going to give you that little bit of emotion after it like he does on occasion. It was just fun to watch him get into one.”
Regardless of how much Stanton slimmed down this past offseason, his ability to destroy a baseball, at high velocity, remains intact. His three hits Saturday night included a 116-mph single that was more impressive than the opposite-field homer. But that’s always been part of the package with Stanton no matter how lost he can look at the plate for disturbingly long stretches.
Which is the tease, too. Because the Yankees want to believe Stanton can be that masher on a consistent basis, that they won’t be forced to someday eat a portion of the four years and $128 million left on his contract ($30M being paid by the Marlins).
Chances are they’ll never get those assurances. Stanton, 34, isn’t getting any younger, and it’s been impossible for him to stay healthy.
That leaves only one course of action. Keep running him out there and hope for more shock-and-awe performances like this weekend’s fireworks, knowing full well there’s going to be plenty more gut-wrenching frustration mixed in.
Just 10 games into this season, we’ve already witnessed both.
Before Saturday, Stanton was hitting .125 (3-for-24) with 13 strikeouts, the wild-swinging variety that often can look like non-competitive trips to the plate. But in the two games since, he has homered twice (four hits overall) and suddenly appears to be a guy who can do serious damage again.
In other words, it was a vintage Stanton weekend. The trick is keeping him switched on.
“I’ve been able to stay more in my legs, so it’s good,” Stanton said of his swing. “I’ve just got to do it over and over, game after game, continue to have good at-bats. Put all four or five of them together, not just one or two, and good things happen.”
Trading for Juan Soto has helped provide more cover in the lineup for Stanton. It’s no longer him and Judge trying to hold the Yankees up, then Stanton taking the brunt of the abuse when he comes up small.
The Yankees have surged to an 8-2 start with minimal contributions from Stanton before this weekend series win over the Blue Jays, but maybe the confidence boost he got from the Bronx — rather than boos — will help stretch out this good streak.
“They were electric,” Stanton said of the fans. “They’re always ready to go nuts, so it’s good I was able to give them something.”
Stanton seemed as if he enjoyed that grand slam more than anyone. Along with getting the last laugh on Judge.
David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a voter for baseball's Hall of Fame and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.
