TAMPA – It may not be until the beginning of March, but Giancarlo Stanton has already put in some impressive Statcast numbers.
Stanton’s first goal of the spring was a double on Sunday in a 4-0 win over the Phillies at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
It jumped off its bat against Philadelphia starter Zack Wheeler and the exit speed was measured at 109.4 mph.
Then, in the fifth, the DH drilled a double to deep center, this time ahead of Ivan Nova, clocking in at 109.8 mph.
“He looks ready,” said DJ LeMahieu. “He had a few missiles today. That’s Big G for you there. “
The Yankees are counting on more of that of Stanton, who couldn’t stay sane for most of the past two seasons before bursting into the playoffs last year with six homers in seven games.
“Stanton chased the ball,” Aaron Judge said. “He looks exactly like his playoff form from last year.”
Aaron Boone has spoken cheerfully about Stanton’s approach all spring, saying the 31-year-old has matured as a batter and in some ways may be better than he was in 2017, when Stanton hit 59 homers and won the NL MVP while with the Marlins.
He was traded off-season to the Yankees, hitting 38 home runs in his first year at The Bronx while battling a hamstring injury and has since been limited to 41 regular season games in the past two seasons.
The flashes Stanton showed last October – and again on Sunday – have got the Yankees excited about what could come next, but he has yet to prove he can stay on the field.
“Giancarlo is healthy and that’s what it’s all about now,” Boone said.
While Stanton hit the ball harder than anyone on Sunday, Brett Gardner accounted for the lone runs with his second inning grand slam off Wheeler.
“That gives [Gardner] something to talk about with the big boys, ”Boone said of the shot down the right field line. “That will blow some air in his sails.”
Judge said the slider was down and in, and “right in [Gardner’s] wheelhouse. “
More important than the home run is the quality of the 37-year-old’s at-bats after signing just before camp opened after a lengthy free-agent process.
“I liked the way he looked,” Boone said.
The manager added that he told coach Marcus Thames that Gardner may have been ahead of where he was a year ago at this point, but Thames disagreed.
Regardless, he could wait for Wheeler’s breaking ball for his first home run of the spring and he later pulled a walk from Ivan Nova.
Boone said there are no plans so far to cut back on the Major League camp, but they will take advantage of Monday’s day off to reschedule where some players are, with more players on the 40-man squad moving to expected to relocate from the minor league complex. Tuesday to Steinbrenner Field.
When asked what struck him the most about his team at this point during spring training, Boone said, “I noticed our depth. We try to get in place for a few days and there are a lot of good players to come in. “
He also praised the “business hunger and one-sidedness that was taking shape” of the team.