As we near the final home stretch of the MLB season, with each team having around 40 games left to play, the playoffs are rapidly approaching.
Teams are strategically positioning themselves for home-field advantage in the postseason, all while ensuring their key players are in top condition for a potential deep postseason run.
Amidst the buzz surrounding superstar Aaron Judge, who recently set a record by becoming the fastest player to hit 300 career homers in their victory against the Chicago White Sox, and Juan Soto being the second man, let’s not forget the potential impact of Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton on their chances of a potential deep postseason run. His contributions could be crucial in the upcoming games.
The Yankees are rolling, securing six victories in their last ten games. With the team finding its groove and Jazz Chisholm Jr. out for an unspecified time down the stretch, Stanton, 34, is still looking to find his consistency after coming back from a hamstring strain that kept him sidelined on the IL for over a month.
Since returning to the mound for their three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies, Stanton has struggled to find consistency at bat, converting on just nine of his last 40 (22.5%) at-bats.
Stanton’s best game since returning from his hamstring strain was against the Texas Rangers on Aug.11 in the final game of a three-game series, where he had two hits and a run while assisting with four RBIs to help the Yankees prevail in an 8-7 victory.
More performances like the one against the Rangers will be crucial for the Yankees as they close the regular season and head into the postseason, where Stanton’s potential to deliver in high-pressure situations could be a game-changer.
Stanton has proven reliable and clutch in high-voltage moments in his career when his team needs him to come through. Unfortunately, the last five seasons have been ravaged and filled with injuries, which have undoubtedly affected his performance. These injuries include a torn ACL (2019), strained left hamstring (2020), strained left quadricep (2021), right ankle inflammation, tendinitis in his left Achilles (2022), and a strained left hamstring again in 2023.
We’ve Waited Seven Seasons To See Stanton and Judge Both Healthy and Devastating Pitchers…Together
Injuries can take a massive toll on an athlete’s mobility, causing wear and tear physically and mentally. However, the Yankees have some high-level opponents coming up to prove whether they’re contenders or pretenders in the next before the regular season winds down, going against the Cleveland Guardians (72-50, 1st in AL Central), Seattle Mariners (63-59, 2nd in AL West), and their division rivals the Boston Red Sox (63-56, 3rd in AL East.
Those three games will be an actual battle test the Yankees should have marked on their calendar to see where they stand as the postseason approaches. But, if Stanton can find his groove swinging and dinging at the right time to pair alongside the devastating combination of Soto and Judge, opposing pitchers will have a nightmare waiting for them.
