LOS ANGELES – The home run party has arrived in the Big Apple.
The Bronx Bombers have started the season on a heater at 8-2 and the best record in the American League, as Giancarlo Stanton leads the way with his team high three home runs.
He’s hit home runs in back-to-back games, including a grand slam on Sunday off Blue Jays pitcher Bowden Francis on a 2-2 count with two outs in the bottom of the third inning. It was the 405th Bro bomb of his illustrious career and traveled an estimated 417-feet prompting Yankees announcer Michael Kay to say:
“If You Could Possibly Hurt A Baseball…That Ball’s In Pain.”
Giancarlo Stanton Struggled In 2023: Looking To Bounce Back
Stanton has a .219 batting average, with a .242 on-base percentage, and a .531 slugging percentage in eight games played.
The 34-year-old is looking to have a bounce back season after 2023 produced career lows in batting average at .191, on-base percentage at .275, and slugging percentage at .420. He also missed 61 games, mainly due to a strained hamstring.
He has only played in more than 110 games once since 2018, and his lack of availability is starting to become very impatient with fans and members of the team, with Yankees general manager Brian Cashman frustratingly saying that Stanton “is going to wind up getting injured again more likely than not because it seems to be part of his game” when asked about him back in November.
Stanton has even said that this has been a problem, acknowledging that he’s got to “change the narrative,” and he’s certainly trying. He came into spring training leaner than previous year to try and improve his mobility and to see if this could help keep him off the shelf.
With the blockbuster addition of Juan Soto and Trent Grisham in a trade with the Padres, Stanton can play less of the outfield and play more of the DH, a way to help possibly increase his chances of staying off the IL. So far, it’s been all going to plan during this young season, as all eight games Stanton has suited up for has been to play the DH.
Stanton has already had two days off as well, so it’ll be interesting to see if Yankees management have a plan of resting Stanton a bit more to try and keep him as fresh as could be.
While the five-time All-Star is known for his power, he’s also known to strikeout more often than others, as he’s already struck out 15 times, which is second-most in the AL.
He did tell reporters however that during the offseason he also worked on adjusting his hitting mechanics, so while his strikeout rate is high right now, the new mechanics could help bring strikeouts down compared to previous seasons.
This could be a make-or-break year for the 6’6” slugger from Los Angeles, as a healthy season is greatly needed to keep Yankees fans and management happy. If Stanton can be the everyday threat in the lineup that they need him to be, then a bright 2024 season is on the horizon as he continues his journey towards 500 homers.
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