SAN FRANCISCO — It’s often risky to put too much faith in spring training statistics, particularly when it comes to veteran players.
The same skepticism holds for early-season performance. The sample size is just too small to draw significant conclusions.
That said, Giancarlo Stanton had a spring training that the Yankees couldn’t have asked for more from—both in terms of performance and his health. He seems to have carried that momentum into the start of the regular season, reminding fans of the potential impact he could have if he can remain on the field.
“He’s really locked in,” commented Cody Bellinger ahead of the Yankees’ series finale against the Giants on Saturday. “He’s been consistently focused this spring, and that’s showing through his quality at-bats and hard hits.”
As of Saturday, going into the game at Oracle Park, Stanton was 4-for-8 in the first two matchups of the season, including a home run. He showcased his speed by scoring a double on Jose Caballero’s single during the opening game—a nice touch. Later in that same game, he drove a ball at 114.4 mph off Giants ace Logan Webb.
Stanton lighting up the Statcast isn’t something new; it continues the impressive finish to his spring training. In the final week, he was consistently hitting balls with an exit velocity exceeding 160 mph. Manager Aaron Boone even joked, “If only we could bottle this and take it north with us…”
So, thus far, everything looks promising—not only in terms of results.
“His at-bats have really been strong,” Boone said after Stanton hit a home run in a 3-0 victory. “He has a solid plan and is executing it well. Even when he struck out in his first at-bat, you sensed he was on the right path, and he quickly found his groove afterward.”
This is the type of performance Stanton has delivered in the past, although it didn’t really kick off last season until mid-June. That’s when he was finally recovering from the agonizing pain from tennis elbow affecting both arms.
In 77 games, he batted .273 with an OPS of .944, hitting 24 home runs—a production rate nearly matching that of his 2017 MVP season.
Stanton, now 36, still plays through discomfort but manages his elbow without letting it hinder his on-field abilities. While a return to MVP form isn’t expected at this point in his career, the Yankees would gladly take this version of Stanton, especially considering his struggle to stay healthy in recent years.
When healthy, Stanton and Aaron Judge have created one of the most formidable duos in Yankees history. They both hit home runs in the sixth inning on Friday, marking an impressive 60 go-ahead home runs as a pair in the same game—part of a game the Yankees dominated 53-7.
The Elias Sports Bureau reports that Stanton and Judge have combined for home runs in 60 games, making them the second-most productive teammate duo in Yankees history—only behind legends Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth, who hit together in 75 games.
