Giancarlo Stanton Traded to the Yankees: Fantasy Baseball Impact

The Yankees added the 2017 home run leader to their roster early Saturday morning. What kind of boost does Giancarlo Stanton get by hitting in Yankee Stadium?

Once the New York Yankees were out on the Shohei Ohtani, the front office turned their attention to another player. The team agreed to a deal with the Miami Marlins to send slugger Giancarlo Stanton to New York. The Yankees were originally out on Stanton but changed their mind and ramped up their efforts. Does Stanton hit another 59 home runs in 2018?

Stanton missed a lot of games over the past few years. He missed time in 2011 and 2013 with a right hamstring strain. He missed 46 games in 2012 with right knee issues. Stanton missed 17 games in 2014 from a facial fracture after a hit-by-pitch and played in just 74 games in 2015 after a hamate bone fracture in his left hand. The most recent injury came in 2016 when he was shut down after a groin injury.

However, fantasy owners would still draft Stanton as a top-40 player. Luckily for the owners that drafted him this year, he was able to play a full season. He never topped 40 home runs in his first seven years in Miami. This year, his bat exploded.

Stanton was able to play in 159 games, the most in his career. He hit 59 home runs, 132 RBI and .281. Stanton finished as the National League MVP, winning by two points over Joey Votto. He had a 163:85 K:BB ratio, giving him a .376 on-base percentage. Stanton was the 11th-best player and fifth-best hitter on the Player Rater.

This was the Stanton that everyone was waiting for but had to wait another season as he recovered from injury.

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Now, in New York, Stanton will have a lot of lineup protection. The heart of the Yankees lineup will be some combination of Judge, Stanton and Gary Sanchez. The team still has Didi Gregorius to add to the power depth on the team. All of the Yankees hitters get a boost to their fantasy value with the addition of Stanton.

While Yankee Stadium benefits left-handed hitters, Stanton has enough power to hit to all parts of the field. He’ll hit balls over the left-field bleachers with ease. Watching him and Judge will be a fun duo to watch for both real and fantasy baseball.

The first team on the Stanton rumor train was the St. Louis Cardinals. The San Francisco Giants were the next team to show interest, but Stanton said he wouldn’t waive his no-trade clause for either team. I don’t think they would be able to support Stanton’s numbers in 2018 anyway. Those stadiums rank in the bottom seven in home runs according to ESPN Park Factors.

The Yankees didn’t need to add Stanton to the team. They have an outfield made up of Aaron Hicks, Brett Gardner, Jacoby Ellsbury and Aaron Judge. Granted, Ellsbury and Gardner haven’t been the healthiest of players, which is why Hicks got a lot of love last season. It looks like it’ll be Judge, Stanton and Ellsbury as the starting outfield.

The Yankees now have an opening at second base. Of the current players, Ronald Torreyes and Tyler Wade could fill in while the Yankees look for a replacement. Torreyes hit .292 with three home runs, 36 RBI and 35 runs scored in 315 at-bats. Wade, on the other hand, hit .155 with two RBI and seven runs in 58 at-bats.

Many are clamoring for Gleyber Torres to get the call and join the Yankees. His minor-league numbers look good but he has just 23 games played in Triple-A. In those games, he hit .309 with two homers, 16 RBI and nine runs scored. I expect him to start the season in Triple-A before getting the call in September. Those in dynasty leagues will have to wait another season.

Looking at the Marlins, their team will look a lot different in 2018. With Dee Gordon no longer on the team, the Yankees will be sending all-star Starlin Castro down to Miami along with some good prospects. The outfield will have Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna with right field open. I doubt Ichiro will be able to play the field full time. Maybe one of the prospects the Marlins receive could slot in as the starting right fielder.

I like Castro as much as if he were still with the Yankees. The team around him is good, albeit without two of their top hitters. He’s still in my top-20 second basemen for 2018.

Next: Shohei Ohtani chooses to sign with the Angels

Stanton is my No. 2 outfielder behind Mike Trout. With the new surroundings, he could finish as the best outfielder, and possibly the best hitter, in the league this season. This is going to be an exciting season for Yankees fans. It is possible for an owner to draft both Judge and Stanton for their squad but someone will reach for one or both sluggers.

He is an early second-round pick.

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