Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton have been the biggest hitting strengths of the New York Yankees for quite some time. But 2023 was bad for both sluggers of the NY side. In fact, last year was bad for the whole team. However, Stanton and Judge are the biggest offensive strengths; they were both on the injured list last season. In their absence, the offense really got weaker, and eventually, the Bronx Bombers failed to make the postseason. But fans know that when these guys stay healthy, the Yankees offense looks one of the best in the league.
Moreover, ahead of the 2024 season, the front office added Juan Soto and Alex Verdugo to their roster. It was a big boost for their offense. As a result, in the offseason, the NY side had the most improved outfield in terms of WAR. Now, if these guys can stay healthy throughout the season, they can really help the team go a long distance. But Judge and Stanton had a slow start to the 2024 season. However, the team has been doing really well.
Aaron Judge And Giancarlo Stanton Were Instrumental In Yankees Win Against The Blue Jays
The NY Yankees disappointed the fans in their home opener of 2024. They lost to the Toronto Blue Jays 3-0. It was a shock after they came from a 6-1 road trip at the very beginning of the season. The Yankees dominated the Houston Astros, and the Arizona Diamondbacks seemed tougher. Anyhow, the NY side eventually managed to win the home opening series against the Blue Jays. Aaron Judge hit his second home run this season against the Blue Jays. Earlier, the AL 2022 MVP hit his first homer against the D-backs. The Yankees came back stronger after silencing 47,000+ fans in the home opener. In the second game against the Blue Jays, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton found their form again. Their timely performances helped the Yankees win 9-8 contest. It was a pretty close game.
The Yankees captain hit a huge two-run homer. Then, the Designated Hitter of the Yankees came in to hit his own home run. Stanton had three hits that day. After hitting a homer, he hit a couple of RBI singles. That second game against the Toronto side also marked Stanton’s 500 hit for the NY side. Later, Aaron Boone said, as per The Athletic, that Stanton is very tough mentally as well as very disciplined. All Boone wants the DH to do is take care of his batting stance and try to get comfortable in the box again. Moreover, the skipper said he feels Stanton has been in the fight this whole time. Also, he needed a night like that, as everybody does once in a while.
Stanton Might Also Check On His Batting Stance
Giancarlo Stanton has been playing for the Pinstripes for a while. But this veteran DH has become quite injury-prone since last year. However, he worked on his fitness in the offseason. Later, he became thinner and slimmer. Now, he is gradually getting back to his groove. But Stanton uses his lower half of the body rarely while batting, that has puzzled the scouts. Moreover, the other point of worry is that he stands far out of the plate. This tendency might affect his vision.
However, if the DH can keep up with his performance in the second game against the Blue Jays, he can erase all worries and issues. On the other hand, Aaron Judge had a two-for-three hit game with a couple of walks. Even the Yankees captain is gradually getting back to his natural element. These two sluggers helped the Yankees enjoy a big lead. However, the Blue Jays later came frighteningly close. But the Pinstripes managed to win in the end.
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