Giancarlo Stanton, known for his immense talent and ability to crush home runs, finds himself in a slump that has contributed to the Yankees’ overall offensive struggles. Since captain Aaron Judge has left the field, the whole offense, including Stanton, is in shambles. Recently against the Red Sox, the Bombers could only club a total of 8 runs across three games.
Speaking of Giancarlo Stanton, he is the only player in the Yankees lineup who is capable of replacing a beast like Aaron Judge. Stanton, a former MVP, has made a name for himself by scoring towering home runs over the recent past. However, since the Big G made a comeback from injury, his form has mostly been on the downside, which is becoming a point of concern for the Yankees, who desperately miss the services of its captain, Aaron Judge.
Giancarlo Stanton Is Self Aware Of His Troubling Form, Vows Of A Comeback
Giancarlo Stanton made a comeback a few weeks ago from a hamstring injury. He hit a home run in the very first game post-return. Post that, his numbers have largely stayed below average. As of June 19, he was hitting .119 and went for 5-for-42 since his return. Stanton’s responsibilities doubled up when Yankees captain and leading batter, Aaron Judge, entered IL due to a toe injury. Having a reputation for hitting long homers, Stanton was expected to fill in for Judge and lead the team’s offense. However, his numbers are enough to reflect the reality.
Giancarlo Stanton: "We've got to figure out how to win games. That's the situation we're in. Can't have excuses." pic.twitter.com/CxwRKTR6Nm
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) June 18, 2023
As for Giancarlo Stanton, he understands his responsibilities and has affirmed making efforts to improve his time on the plate. He said that while the reps are helping him physically, he is yet to regain his rhythm. The Big G wants to contribute from the plate and is figuring it out. For those unaware, Stanton has been playing as a DH since his return, citing workload issues. However, the manager Aaron Boone did suggest that the batter could take the field in the near future. Boone claimed that he wanted Stanton to field against Red Sox, but since the game got rescheduled for a doubleheader, he aborted the plan. Regardless, more than on the field, Stanton’s impact on the plate is highly crucial for the Yankees. He is arguably the only one capable of eclipsing Judge and hence must sort answers to recent struggles.
Are The Yankees Overdoing To Compensate For Aaron Judge’s Absence?
When a potent batter like Aaron Judge suddenly disappears from the squad, the team naturally enters into a panic zone. It seems the Yankees have pressed the panic button too. Since the captain has made it into IL, there has been a sense of urgency amongst the batters to cover up for the captain offensively. However, in desperation, the Yankees are ironically failing. They are trying to do too much and somehow forget the basis of hitting in baseball.
Yankees coach Dillon Lawson validated the same sentiment. After the team’s crushing series loss against arch-rivals, Boston Red Sox, the hitting coach admitted that the offensive struggle is an outcome of overdoing on the plate. Lawson said that these things happen when batters try to overcompensate for the absence of someone like Aaron Judge and that the Yankees are experiencing the same dilemma. Hence, the hitting coach has advised the batting lineup to spend some time on the plate and not force things out.