Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton still can muscle his way into spotlight when necessary
Giancarlo Stanton of the Yankees follows through on his fifth-inning three-run home run against the Guardians at Yankee Stadium on Thursday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
In this Season of Judge, the Sequel, occasionally there are moments when other Yankees provide genuine jaw-dropping moments.
Spectacular feats that even Aaron Judge is incapable of, by the captain’s own admission.
We were treated to one of those times Thursday afternoon in the Bronx, where Giancarlo Stanton reminded everyone that he’s the guy Aaron Judge once looked up to. And before Juan Soto put on the pinstripes, it was Stanton who supplied the muscle for half of what used to be known as the sport’s scariest tandem, a still-dynamic duo that teamed up for a pair of homers in the Yankees’ 6-0 victory over the Guardians.
With Judge again on pace for 61, thanks to snaking No. 48 inside the rightfield foul pole -- a homer in 29 of 30 parks, so no short-porch cheapie here -- Stanton stole the show with an awesome three-run blast in the fifth inning, seemingly defying the law of physics in the process.
After Austin Wells’ sacrifice fly put the Yankees up, 2-0, reliever Nick Sandlin worked Stanton to a full count, then went to the usual playbook against him: slider down-and-away. Often, we’ve seen Stanton flail at such pitches, missing them by a matter of feet, not inches.
In this spot, however, Stanton somehow managed to get the end of his bat on the 82-mph slider. For him -- and only him -- that was enough. Stanton launched a 417-foot rocket that cleared the centerfield wall, a ridiculous result for such a pitch. Afterward, knowing the impossibility of the question, I asked Judge how many hitters could send a slider like that into orbit.
“I think just one guy,” Judge said, “And we saw it today. It’s impressive what he can do. For being such a big guy, he uses his legs so well, and those sliders off the plate of sliders down, those are always in his damage zone.”
There’s no better expert on the subject on Judge, who’s been Stanton’s tag-team partner since the two were paired together during the winter of 2017 -- forming an updated Bash Brothers, Bronx edition. With Thursday’s victory, the Yankees are 10-0 this season when both Judge and Stanton homer in the same game. Overall, the two have done so 41 times during the regular season, the fifth-most ever by Yankees’ teammates -- one behind Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris -- and the team is 37-4 in those games. The Yankees also are 4-0 in playoff games when the two have homered.
“It seems like another level to it,” Stanton said of Judge. “This last bit here has been unreal ... That’s what the best in the world does -- make it look easy. We’re all feeding off that. He amazes us every night. It’s good he’s on our side.”
And with Stanton back to destroying pitching staffs again, he erases the two-man lineup narrative that dominated the discussion during his time on the IL. We saw Aaron Boone’s strategy work to perfection Thursday in that pivotal fifth inning, when Sandlin waved the white flag with Judge -- walking him intentionally after throwing the first two balls -- and Wells followed with the sacrifice fly.
But that was only the warning shot. It was Stanton who blew the game up by hammering what Sandlin probably figured was a safe slider. When Stanton is in beast mode, however, there’s no place to hide.
“G kind of doing G things,” is how Boone described the spectacle. “Not many people are able to hit the ball like that and are able to ride it out. He’s huge for the length of our lineup.”
Boone is talking about protecting Judge, as the only thing that can slow his supernatural season -- and another shot at 62 -- is avoiding him altogether. The Guardians tried that route Thursday, after Judge already dented them for a solo homer in the fourth, but it’s a dead end if Wells remains productive and Stanton is waiting to wreck the game with one swing.
“When G is G, good things are going to happen,” Judge said. “He’s been swinging the bat well, he comes up big in clutch moments like that. A couple walks in front of him and he takes care of business. We’re going to need him down the stretch, that’s for sure.”
When Judge was informed that Stanton said the captain was playing a “video game” while everybody else was “trying to grind,” he laughed. Stanton got the brink of 60 himself, hitting 59 during his MVP season in 2017 -- when Judge smashed 52 to earn Rookie of the Year honors -- and those used to be Mount Olympus numbers before what’s happening now.
“Big G’s just being nice,” Judge said. “I watched Stanton for years do this, so I’m just trying to be like him.”
On Thursday, Judge and Stanton were the main attractions again, just like the pre-Soto era. Big G doesn’t dominate the conversation anymore, but he can muscle his way back into the spotlight when necessary. And when the measuring stick is pure power, Stanton is the only one that tees it up with Judge on the regular.
And sometimes, much to Judge’s delight, outdrives him, too.
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.
