Even before Giancarlo Stanton hit his fourth home run in five straight ALCS games on Saturday night in Cleveland, another standout performance in October was changing the narrative surrounding his tenure with the Yankees. Ta.
And even though Stanton's seven years in the Bronx were a roller coaster, general manager Brian Cashman's move to acquire the often-injured slugger and his decision to trade him from the Marlins before the 2018 season He said he had no thoughts about signing a huge contract.
“I've never regretted getting Giancarlo Stanton,” Cashman said before Game 5 at Progressive Field.
A few hours later, the Yankees advanced to their first World Series since 2009, thanks not only to Juan Soto's three-run home run in the top of the 10th inning to take the lead, but also to Stanton's game-tying two-run homer. In the sixth inning against Tanner Bibby, he fanned Stanton twice early in the match.
“[Stanton] It wasn't part of our problem, it was part of our solution,” Cashman said of the slugger who was named ALCS MVP. “During October we didn't go as far as we wanted and hoped, but that wasn't his fault. He did his part.”
Stanton's excellence in the postseason is undeniable.
Stanton has an incredible 16 home runs in 149 at-bats in 36 playoff games. OPS is 1.019.
Soto, who has 10 home runs in 38 playoff games, has a .906 postseason OPS and set a career high with three home runs in October's ALCS series, including Saturday's dagger.
and Aaron Judge is .761.
However, Stanton has not played in more than 114 regular season games or appeared in more than 459 at-bats since 2021. And since he turns 35 next month, it's hard to imagine things changing.
Stanton has three years left on his contract and has bounced back from the worst season of his career.
“Last year was the first time he really underperformed as a healthy player,” Cashman said of a tough 2023 season for both Stanton (.695 OPS, 24 HR in 101 games) and the Yankees. . “When he's good and on the field, he's always a threat. Even before this year, October has always brought out the best in him. That's why we acquired him all those years ago. . To have him on the field and be a force in the middle of the lineup. He's a key piece to where we want to go.”
And, perhaps somewhat surprisingly to outside observers, no Yankee has been a greater spokesperson for the team and its goals or objectives this postseason.
Teammates and coaches regularly talk about his single-minded focus on winning the Bronx's first World Series title since 2009, but no one has said it more and more succinctly than Stanton. .
On how it feels to play in a World Series game, from his reaction Friday night: “It doesn't feel like anything until it's done. As far as I'm concerned, we're not doing nothing.” “This is a special moment for me, but this is not the trophy I want. I want the next one,” he said of a similar attitude Saturday when he won series MVP.
And it all happened after Stanton had his best year since '21, a season in which he only played DH.
Over the past few years, Stanton has occasionally played in the outfield while battling lower-body injuries. Coach Cashman said Saturday that not having Stanton play defense was not a goal heading into the season.
Rather, it was a result of the way the roster was constructed, adding outfielders Soto and Trent Grisham from San Diego and Alex Verdugo from Boston in the offseason.
“There was no plan not to play him,” Cashman said. “There was no place for him to go outside.”
The Yankees won the AL East and advanced to the World Series, largely due to the slimmed-down Stanton's contributions throughout the season and playoffs, and he will be playing in the World Series as a celebratory gift. .
“I think the story of his career is the story of the Yankees,” Cashman said. “When he's playing well, he's highly praised, and when he's playing badly, the booby-birds show up. That goes for teams and individuals, and the more money you make, the more abuse you get. It's the nature of the beast. But he always has a sense of responsibility and we're looking at what he can do.”
