Giancarlo Stanton, the power-hitting outfielder for the New York Yankees, has been struggling massively this season. After an early start, he sustained a hamstring injury which took a massive toll on his rhythm. He spent six weeks on IL before returning to the lineup in June, days before Aaron Judge‘s gruesome toe injury.
Regardless, after spending a considerable amount of time on the injured list, Giancarlo Stanton was finally healthy and eager to contribute to his team’s success. The Yankees’ fan base had been eagerly anticipating his return, knowing the impact he could have on the lineup with his prodigious power. Alas, the wait finally ended on Saturday as the potent hitter exploded vs. Cubs.
Giancarlo Stanton Hits Two Towering Home Runs To End Yankees Losing Streak
Before stepping onto the field to face the Cubs on Saturday, Yankee’s powerful hitter Giancarlo Stanton was hitting .157 with 3 doubles, 3 homers, 9 RBIs, 8 stolen bases, .242 OBP, .292 slugging percentage. Since returning from IL, Stanton’s form has remained mostly on the downside. It’s the kind of slump the batter has never encountered before. However, on Saturday, Stanton came with an intent to make a difference. In the very first inning, the batter slammed a gigantic 447 feet home run over the left field with an exit velocity of 118 mph, making it the third hardest hit of the season. However, Stanton was not done just yet. In the fifth, he launched another home run to lift the Yankees’ lead to 6-1.
After the game, MLB.com researcher Sarah Langs put up interesting statistics on Giancarlo Stanton on Twitter. The recent home run hit by Stanton was his 13th hit with an exit velocity of 118+ mph. Nobody in MLB has that many numbers of homers with such high exit velocity. Aaron Judge has five of those and ranks second to Stanton on the list. It clearly suggests that nobody is hitting the ball harder than Giancarlo in MLB. Having said that, his return to form is highly crucial for the Yankees. In the midst of an offensive dry run, the team needs Stanton to hit on a consistent basis. While Saturday’s hits indicated a promising sign, the real challenge for Stanton would be to stay healthy and maintain desired consistency.
Stanton Astonished With His Own 447 Feet Hit
Giancarlo Stanton’s 447 feet home run against the Cubs on Saturday was one of the best the Yankees have witnessed this year. While Stanton downplayed the hit as it resulted in one run, he seemed astonished to hit in the left area. The batter said that he had never hit such a long shot in left ever before, not even in practice. Hence, he is as surprised as anyone as to where did it come from. Regardless, as long as Stanton is able to contribute, he would not mind hitting anywhere in the ballpark.
On the other hand, Giancarlo Stanton’s teammate, Josh Donaldson, claimed that such long hits are not that usual in baseball. Hence, the batter should be awarded two runs for pulling it off. Further, Yankees manager Aaron Boone once again called Stanton’s gigantic hit “weird.” He said he had never seen a hit with an exit velocity of 118 mph land so high. Only Giancarlo Stanton can pull such an act. Overall, it ended well for the Yankees as they took home a 6-3 win over the Cubs to end a long withstanding losing streak.