It’s no secret that Giancarlo Stanton struggled mightily to begin his Yankees career. His recent hot streak is coming at just the right time for his team.
When the Yankees acquired Giancarlo Stanton this summer most fans expected him to become an immediate star in the Bronx. That didn’t happen. His first several weeks in Pinstripes were an absolute nightmare. Fortunately, Yankee fans are starting to see the real Stanton now.
His ascension couldn’t have come at a better time for Aaron Boone. Gary Sanchez’s trip to the DL leaves the Yankees offense short a powerful bat in the middle of their order. Obviously, Stanton at his best is one of the most intimidating bats in baseball.
Stanton’s overall statistics on the season suddenly look pretty decent. Critics would like to see his average move up from his current mark of .268, but no one can complain about his 19 home runs and 46 RBIs. The more encouraging news for Yankees fans is just how good Stanton has been over the last 10 games.
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Over that stretch, Stanton has clearly been New York’s best hitter. He’s putting up big numbers in terms of average and power. Hitting .436 with eight extra base hits, including four home runs is obviously outstanding production. The real question is whether or not Stanton can keep up this level of play down the stretch.
Watching the way he’s handling the bat at the moment, all signs are pointing to yes. Stanton still has trouble with breaking balls low and away, but that’s really the only weakness he has at the plate. When he can work the count in his favor he’s almost impossible to get out. Stanton’s ability to get on top of high fastballs and hit them with authority is a beautiful thing to watch.
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If the Yankees intend to break their World Series title drought they’re going to need Stanton to play like an MVP. He didn’t do that at the start of his Yankees career, but all will be forgiven if he finishes the season on a tear. His recent performance is bad news for other teams hoping to see the Yankees take an early playoff exit.