How Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton has evolved into ‘way better hitter’ who just needs some injury luck
TAMPA — The first swing of Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton’s first spring training game of the year was a Stanton special, a 112.4-mph liner right back where it came from. Nationals righty Cory Abbott tried to get out of the way, but he would have had to channel Rickey Henderson circa 1979 to avoid getting drilled.
No pitcher is that quick.
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The rocket smashed off the right calf of Abbott, who stood there for a second looking like just he’d been shot before wobbling a few feet to pick up the ball and throw to first. Stanton was called out on a bang-bang play, but he might have been safe.
Doesn’t matter.
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What Stanton cared about was that Abbott wasn’t hurt enough to leave the game, which the Yankees won 4-2 on a ninth-inning, walk-off homer by non-roster catcher Carlos Narvaez.
“Good thing it was low,” Stanton said. “I know it’s not going to feel good later, but (Abbott) stayed in and got his work in.”
So did Stanton, who barreled up the baseball on his second and last at-bat, too.
After Anthony Rizzo started the Yankees fourth with a hit to right off Nats reliever Jordan Weems, Stanton just missed a two-run homer by towering an opposite-field flyball to right-center that was caught at the wall by right fielder Stone Garrett.
Stanton didn’t care that he had no luck at all going 0-for-2 in his cameo.
“Good first day,” he said. “I hit two barrels. I want the flyouts to the wall, the liners … I want to get them all out here (in spring training games), not in the season.”
Stanton is overdue for some good fortune in season. He’s missed almost half the Yankees’ games the last four seasons due to a bunch of injuries, 290 of 546 to be exact.
He was having a good season last year until a long bout with Achilles tendinitis ruined it. He went to the All-Star Game, was MVP there, then was on the IL for a month and slumped badly upon returning. He ended up hitting a career-low .211 average in 110 games with power numbers that could have been a lot better with a decent second half, 31 homers and 78 RBI.
“His numbers fell off because he was working through some things at the end,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
Maybe this year will be different. He showed up for spring training with no health issues, he’s in great shape and he was raking in game one.
“He’s looked great,” Boone said. “Being this early, he’s pretty locked in. His at-bats in our live sessions … (the ball was) really jumping. They were really good.”
Boone’s first year managing the Yankees was Stanton’s first with the club. The 2018 campaign also was Stanton’s only healthy one as a Yankee. He played 158 of 162 games that year and hit .266 with 37 homers and 105 RBI. Too bad for Stanton, a lot of Yankees fans were disappointed with those numbers because he’d hit 59 homers the previous year, his National League MVP and swan season with the Miami Marlins.
Boone was reminded of Stanton’s 2018 in Wednesday’s post-game presser and cut off the question.
“He’s a way better hitter,” the manager said. “That’s what I think. Look, if Giancarlo goes out there and is healthy to play 130-140 games, whatever that number is, I still think of massive season is in him.”
Better hitter than 2017, the 59-homer season?
“I don’t know,” Boone answered. “I’m talking ‘18. I think he’s a more advanced, polished hitter than that he was then. I do feel that way. He’s still got massive power and bat speed and all that stuff, but he’s really good at learning and processing and learning how to do it. I just think he’s from ‘18 to now, he’s a more polished hitter.”
That’s fine and dandy, but Stanton is trying to play a full season at age 33 when he couldn’t do it at 29, 30, 31 and 32 due to a lot of nagging injuries. Stanton has to change this script is his ‘advanced’ hitting won’t impact like he can.
“He’s older, and the key is going to be staying healthy,” Boone said. “If he does, he’s still capable of big things.”
