How can the Yankees fix their Giancarlo Stanton problem?

Giancarlo Stanton is struggling, to the point of ire from fans, so what can the Yankees do to fix their struggling slugger?

After being the biggest trade acquisition of the offseason, Giancarlo Stanton hit two home runs in his first game as a New York Yankee. After hitting his third home run of the season on April 4, Stanton had six RBI and an OPS above 1.000 (1.029).

But Stanton also struck out 12 times in those first 23 at-bats. Over his last 10 games (43 at-bats), he has struck out 17 more times and five of his eight hits over that span have come in two games with three of his four RBI in just one of those contests.

Things seem to have reached a breaking point now, as Stanton has struck out six times in the last three games (12 at-bats). Going back a little further he has taken just one walk in his last 34 plate appearances. After Tuesday night’s game Yankees manager Aaron Boone hinted at dropping Stanton down the batting order, which would serve to take some pressure of him.

Hitting a couple spots lower in the batting order may help Stanton. But is there anything else the Yankees can do to fix him?

Stanton hit .281/.376/.631 last year, with 59 home runs and 132 RBI for the Marlins last year, on his way to winning National League MVP. Over his first 14 games (through April 18), close to the same sample as this year so far, he had a .715 OPS with three home runs and eight RBI with 19 strikeouts over 53 at-bats and 60 plate appearances (.702 OPS, three home runs, 10 RBI this year).

Stanton then promptly hit four home runs over his next three games in 2017, with a hit in five of his next six games and just three strikeouts over that six-game span.

Over his career, Stanton’s lowest monthly batting average and OPS is in March and April as a combined sample. May, on the other hand, is his second-best month in both of those categories.

Next: 5 early MLB trade candidates

Slow starts are nothing new for Stanton, it’s just that he’s doing it under the New York microscope this year. So patience is the word right now for the Yankees, and once the weather gets warmer Stanton should heat up in-kind.