Fansided

5 Yankees with the most to prove in 2021

By Rucker Haringey

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 06: Gary Sanchez #24 of the New York Yankees reacts after striking out against the Tampa Bay Rays during the ninth inning in Game Two of the American League Division Series at PETCO Park on October 06, 2020 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 06: Gary Sanchez #24 of the New York Yankees reacts after striking out against the Tampa Bay Rays during the ninth inning in Game Two of the American League Division Series at PETCO Park on October 06, 2020 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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Giancarlo Stanton, New York Yankees
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 05: Kyle Higashioka #66 of the New York Yankees high fives Giancarlo Stanton #27 after scoring a run against the Tampa Bay Rays during the ninth inning of Game One of the American League Division Series at PETCO Park on October 05, 2020 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

4. Giancarlo Stanton

When Stanton is at his best he’s a devastating power hitter capable of carrying the Yankees’ offense for extended periods of time. The problem is that his body continues to betray him on an annual basis. He was limited to just 23 games in last year’s truncated regular season after only playing 18 contests in 2019.

The Yankees desperately want to believe they can rely on Stanton to be a middle-of-the-order hitter in their lineup for the foreseeable future. That can only happen if he’s able to be a regular member of Boone’s lineup.

If he finds a way to play 100+ games then the Yankees can reasonably expect him to be a valuable contributor moving forward. If he fails to hit that mark, it’s time for New York’s front office to consider paying another team to take Stanton’s bloated contract off their hands.

The Yankees don’t absolutely need to have Stanton firing on all cylinders to win big in 2021, but MVP-caliber production during his age-31 season would give this team’s lineup a massive boost. It would also do wonders to endear Stanton to the team’s hyper-critical fan base. It’s easy to see Yankee fans turning on Stanton if he goes through another injury-plagued campaign.

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