he Yankees know they’ll need more from Giancarlo Stanton this season, and the 35-year-old slugger may have finally found the formula to stay productive.
Despite showing signs of decline over the past few years, he flashed his vintage self during the 2024 playoffs, proving he still has the ability to carry a lineup when locked in. With Juan Soto gone, Stanton’s bat becomes even more important, and if he can replicat
Still an Elite Power Threat
Last year, Stanton played 114 games and hit .233/.295/.475 with 27 home runs and 72 RBIs. While those numbers aren’t what they used to be, his 116 wRC+ showed he was still 16 percent better than the average MLB hitter. His power remains elite, ranking among the best in bat speed and exit velocity, but the main concern has been his approach at the plate.
He’s completely selling out for home runs at this stage, resulting in a sub-30 percent on-base percentage for three consecutive years. His 31.2 percent strikeout rate and 8.3 percent walk rate indicate that he’s swinging aggressively and missing often, a trend the Yankees hope he can reverse with minor adjustments.
A Playoff Stanton Could Be a Game-Changer
If the Yankees are looking for a reason to believe in Stanton, they don’t have to look far. During last year’s postseason, he completely flipped the script, slashing .273/.339/.709 over 14 games while launching seven home runs and driving in 16 runs. That version of Stanton was unstoppable, posting a 183 wRC+ and looking every bit like the MVP-caliber player he once was.
So what changed? He reportedly locked into a new pregame routine, which helped him find a rhythm and make more consistent contact. If he can carry that over into the regular season, the Yankees might have a legitimate middle-of-the-order force, even as he enters the later stages of his career.
Stanton’s Role Becomes Even Bigger
With Soto now across town in Queens, the Yankees are banking on players like Cody Bellinger, Paul Goldschmidt, and Jazz Chisholm to pick up the slack, but Stanton remains a critical piece of the puzzle.
If he can stay healthy and rediscover some of that playoff magic, he could be one of the biggest X-factors for the Yankees in 2025. The team doesn’t need him to be a .300 hitter again, but if he can simply sustain the power surge he found last October, they’ll be in much better shape than most people expect.
