LOS ANGELES — In October of this year, Giancarlo Stanton reminded us of his bona fide legacy as one of the most prolific postseason performers of his generation, but in recent years Giancarlo Stanton has become the center of controversy surrounding the colossal slugger. Much of it was about his flaws rather than his strengths.
During last year’s general managers’ meeting, Yankees GM Brian Cashman raised some eyebrows when he made a comment about what he expected from the former MVP going forward.
“We’re trying to limit the amount of time he’s down, but just because he’s down doesn’t mean he’s going to play every game next year,” Cashman said. It seems like it’s part of his game. ”
This was unusual for a GM to be honest about a player, and it understandably caused a lot of backlash, but simply put, Cashman was right. Hamstrings, knees, quadriceps, groin, calves, Achilles tendon. Throughout his 15-year career, Stanton has been on the disabled list with issues in almost every part of his lower body. As a result, his mobility was greatly reduced, his days as an outfielder were over, and his speed on the baseball field was severely limited. All in all, there’s no question that Stanton’s productivity and availability over the course of a 162-game regular season is no longer what it once was.
But even as injuries have slowed him down from his days as an everyday outfielder competing for the MVP award to his current role as a designated hitter who misses about 50 games a year, Stanton’s essence has endured. . Probably more powerful than any player this game has ever seen.
“His bat speed is amazing,” Yankees assistant hitting coach Casey Dykes said. “It’s the best in the world. That’s where the power comes from.”
In addition to the batted ball data it has tracked since 2015 (the data that proved Stanton’s unrivaled status in terms of exit velocity), Statcast will introduce bat tracking in 2024, which will track the physical characteristics of each batter’s swing in the following format: We have added new features to analyze. bat speed. As expected, Stanton’s bat speed is exceptional even at age 34, averaging 81.2 mph. It’s not hard to imagine this being the case during his prime in Miami, but the fact that Stanton has kept this special trait intact over the years is no small feat.
“There are a lot of guys who show incredible athleticism and great bat speed early in their careers, but then that drops off at the end of their careers,” Dykes said. “For him, he was able to maintain what he has, which is to be the best in the world at his field. It speaks volumes about how hard he trains and how much he values himself. Masu.”
Stanton’s batting stance has also evolved over the course of his career, intermittently reevaluating his ideal position in the batter’s box to continue swinging his bat with ferocious force. “I’ve gone from really open to really close to a little bit of a taper now,” Stanton said of tweaking his stance by changing the angle and direction of his feet relative to the pitcher. “I’m always in the lab trying to figure out what methods are most successful over the long term, and that’s changed and evolved over the years. And, you know, I’ve had some hair loss because of that. I lost my hair and my hair grew gray…but that’s part of it and that’s where we are.”
Although his secondary skills have all but evaporated, Stanton’s commitment to doing whatever it takes to maintain his superior strength and ability to access it has made him a presence well into his mid-30s. Not only was he able to maintain this, but he was also able to re-emerge as a protagonist in New York’s rise. First World Series in 15 years. His already stellar postseason résumé was further enhanced this month by a standout performance in the ALCS vs. Cleveland, where he hit four home runs in five games and earned ALCS MVP honors. This is the latest chapter in a remarkable career that has been defined in many ways by the long ball.
The truth is, Stanton has been synonymous with home runs for as long as he’s been swinging a bat. This cannot be said even about his closest colleagues in the powerful departments. Consider Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani, two of the select few players on the planet who can impact baseball as much as Stanton. We now recognize this duo as the standard-bearers for annual dinger production – no player has amassed more long balls over the past four seasons than Judge (196) and Ohtani (178) – but… Each took time to translate their physical gifts, resulting in a significant increase in total home runs.
Ohtani’s incredible raw power was flashed at times early in his career, but until 2021, his ninth year as a pro, he had never hit more than 22 home runs in a year in Japan or in MLB. Like Stanton, Judge was a multi-sport star with size and athleticism in high school, but it wasn’t until he mastered the mechanics of his swing at the major league level that his superlative strength produced flashy results. There wasn’t. Judge hit only 18 home runs in 169 intercollegiate games for Fresno State and never hit more than 20 in a minor league season.
For Stanton, there was no delay. In his first full professional season in 2008, he led the Low-A South Atlantic League with 39 home runs as one of the youngest players in the league. While still a teenager during his second pro season, Stanton’s slugging ability propelled him to Double-A, where he continued to hit tape-measure shots that witnesses still remember today. He made his MLB debut in June 2010 at the age of 20, and shortly thereafter completed the grand slam with his first career home run.
Since then, Stanton has hit 428 more home runs in the regular season, moving him into 51st place on the all-time home run list. With Miguel Cabrera and Nelson Cruz retiring last year, Stanton holds the title of home run king among active MLB players. Although injuries have slowed him down in recent years, he is on a solid path to becoming the 29th player in the 500 home run club.
Of course, chasing these milestones isn’t a concern for Stanton at this point. He is focused squarely on the task at hand: helping the Yankees win their 28th championship in franchise history. And with each ultra-clutch swing, it becomes increasingly clear that Stanton’s recent October hitting streak is the result of careful preparation as well as his incredible power. Manager Aaron Boone spoke during the ALCS about how Stanton particularly benefits from facing pitchers multiple times, and all the work Stanton is doing behind the scenes to set him up for success. praised. “His preparation and ability to stay focused and work is amazing,” Boone said.
“You have to study pitchers all the time. It doesn’t matter what time of year it is. You have to do your homework and come up with a plan for how they approach and gather information from here and there.” “But at the end of the day, you know your thought process best as a hitter, so it’s best to get your own idea of how you’re going to be approached,” Stanton said Thursday. spoke.
Beyond studying his opponent’s arm, Stanton finds great value in learning the environment in which he will bat. Ahead of Games 3-5 of the ALCS in Cleveland, Stanton and Judge were out on the field long before both teams’ standard batting practice sessions, taking swings from the machine at various speeds and angles.
After the Yankees won the American League pennant in Game 5, Stanton said, “I’m downloading the background, I’m downloading the sense of depth.” Because if you download it, the match may be decided in the first place. ”
The two sluggers took the Yankees’ only live batting practice Thursday during New York’s practice at Dodger Stadium ahead of Game 1 of the World Series.
“I understand how important each pitch, each moment is,” Stanton said of the game this time of year and his efforts to feel ready for it. “I try to get all the information I can, a little bit of film, all the swings I need. I run it out. That’s why I’m exhausted after these (games), but I enjoy it. I enjoy the struggle. I don’t always get to go out there and perform well, but as long as I have as much information as I can, I’m in a good position. Masu.”
Although not the only Yankee to make his first World Series appearance, Stanton’s wait to get here was particularly long. Among active players, only Andrew McCutchen, Paul Goldschmidt, and Nolan Arenado have played in more games than Stanton without appearing in the World Series. Before now. The Dodgers are an especially appealing backdrop for Stanton’s first Fall Classic. This isn’t just the team he grew up rooting for. The team is also the team that inherited his draft pick after he was a high school star at nearby Sherman Oaks, and was his preferred landing spot when it became clear the Marlins would trade him in 2017. It is also a team that is said to have been.
Stanton said Dodger Stadium is his favorite ballpark to play. Dodger Stadium was also the site of two of his most memorable moments as a major leaguer. Those are the 2015 home run that completely crossed the left field pavilion and the 2022 all-home run. -He hit a home run in the Star Game and earned MVP honors.
Now that Stanton’s two more postseason performances have helped the Yankees get this far, the stage is set for him to build on his October accomplishments starting Friday in Los Angeles.
