The Yankees Need to Keep Stanton Healthy

The New York Yankees need to protect Giancarlo Stanton at all costs this year. They can’t afford another injury-ridden season for the former MVP. Ever since he was traded, Stanton hasn’t lived up to the hype.

He had a good 2018 season where he was batting .266 and hit 38 home runs. Stanton, however, didn’t live up to his game a year prior, when he won MVP after batting .281 and driving in 59 homers. In 2019, he was supposed to build off of his first season in the Bronx but sadly he only played in 18 games.

This can’t happen this year, not when the season’s shortened to just 60 games. His bat is too valuable, especially now that the MLB adopted the designated hitter rule. Now he doesn’t need to play in the outfield. Playing at the designated hitter spot can only help the Yankees this season.

Stanton has gotten the label as “injury prone.”  He now no longer has to go out and play the outfield and risk more injuries. This also clears out the crowded outfield where the Yankees have five good players fighting for three spots. Keeping Stanton as DH allows the Yankees to be flexible with the players that get the start. 

We saw the damage Stanton could do from the DH position on opening day against the Washington Nationals. In the first inning with Aaron Judge on second, Stanton comes to bat for the first time. While facing a 1-1 pitch, Max Scherzer puts one right in the sweet zone and Stanton hits a two run bomb. The 2-0 lead set the stage for the Yankees for the rest of the night.

In the second game against the Nationals, Stanton hit a 458-foot bomb against Erick Fedde. The Yankees lost 9-2, but Stanton was the only player to hit a home run that game.

MVP honors might be on the horizon for Stanton, if he can hit 25-30 home runs this year.

With the Yankees pitching staff ranking at the top of the league, they only need a few runs to win games this season. Stanton can provide that consistently when healthy. He has the potential to become the team’s leading home run hitter. That’s one hell of a feat considering he’s on a team with both Aaron Judge and Gleyber Torres. If all three can be consistent home run threats, the Yankees will be hard to beat in the 2020 pennant race. 

ALL LUV

EZZUS

BANNER: DR. Buddie//Wikimedia Commons