Giancarlo Stanton adds huge boost to New York Yankees’ lineup
By Zach Houle
Giancarlo Stanton is back in the New York Yankees’ lineup.
The New York Yankees have held their own when their sluggers went down early in the season. They competed every day without the big names in the lineup, which has earned them first place in the American League East.
Now, the Yankees get back another piece to the puzzle in Giancarlo Stanton. He was reinstated from the IL Wednesday in time for Wednesday night’s game against the division rival Tampa Bay Rays.
New York’s offense ranks 8th in baseball, which is a key factor in their success. Getting Stanton in the lineup will only make this team stronger and more trouble for opposing pitchers.
Fellow masher Aaron Judge has been decent at the plate since coming back from injury, as to his .288 average with five home runs. Stanton has only had eight at-bats this season with two hits, so we’ll see how he adjusts to playing in the majors again.
The Yankees’ recent addition in Edwin Encarnacion should be seeing time at DH as well, so Stanton may be playing more outfield than usual. New York is starting to repair their injured team from earlier this year, as Miguel Andujar is the last big piece to come back healthy for next season.
Having Stanton shores up the lineup for the Yankees so they can focus on acquiring pitching. Adding the slugger feels like they acquired another hitter along with Encarnacion. The club is testing the trade waters on the pitching end, as a starter is the number one priority.
Once Stanton and Judge start rolling, expect New York’s offense to be ranked in the top-five in the MLB.
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The Yankees have an interesting series with their division rival, as there is only a game and a half separating the two teams. This AL East race will stretch far past the All-Star break and travel into September with the Yankees, Rays, and Boston Red Sox right behind them.