Difference in Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton powers him to new level: ‘He's an animal'

New York Times

9 hours ago

TAMPA, Fla. — It's become a Pavlov's dog experience, baseball style. Whenever New York Yankees fans hear a particular crack off Giancarlo Stanton's bat, they instantly know to cheer because it means Stanton just crushed another baseball out of the ballpark.
That's exactly what happened the moment Stanton made contact in the 10th inning — his two-run, pinch-hit home run to lead it off breaking the tied score and helping the Yankees to a 6-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
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Stanton's blast zipped off his bat at 108.1 mph, soared well above the left-field wall and smashed off a sign like a bug on a windshield. The cheering made it sound like a home game for the Yankees — winners of five straight and suddenly sitting two games up for the top wild-card position after a couple of bad months.
'You're just shaking your head at what he's doing right now and the level of at-bat no matter what he's up against,' manager Aaron Boone said. 'It's great to see.'
'The guy's one of the most focused players I've ever seen,' designated hitter Aaron Judge said.
Stanton's homer gave the Yankees a 5-3 lead before Austin Wells clubbed a solo shot later in the frame and the Rays scored a meaningless run in the bottom half.
'(Stanton has) been a great player for a long time, and he's one of the best hitters in the game right now,' starting pitcher Cam Schlittler said. 'For him to go up there and get that two-run shot, just no surprise at all.'
STANTON CRUSHES A 2-RUN HOMER FOR THE LEAD IN THE 10TH! 🤯#YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/mFBjjdMBVa
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) August 21, 2025
Schlittler wasn't using hyperbole. On a rate basis, the 35-year-old Stanton has been one of Major League Baseball's best hitters.
Going into Wednesday, Stanton had the third-best wRC+ (175) in the sport among hitters with at least 160 plate appearances, behind just Judge (201) and the Athletics' Nick Kurtz (181). Tennis elbow in both of his elbows held him out of all of spring training, forcing him not to make his regular-season debut until June 16.
But when Stanton has been in the lineup, he's been a force, hitting .311 with a .389 on-base percentage, 15 home runs and a 1.031 OPS in 167 plate appearances. Of course, it's a small sample. The San Francisco Giants' Rafael Devers and the Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani lead the league in plate appearances at 576.
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Stanton has done it all in a role unusual for him. With Judge (right flexor tendon strain) unable to play the field since July 25 — and with no clear timeline for his return — Stanton has had to take a backseat to Judge, allowing him to take DH at-bats when Stanton isn't ready to play the outfield.
But Stanton has done well pinch hitting, going 4-for-7 with two home runs in nine attempts.
Boone said he believes Stanton, who carried the Yankees last year in the playoffs, has ascended to a new level mentally.
'Hit on repeat on what I've been saying about him mentally,' Boone said. 'He's just so good at the mental game now and preparing and knowing how to do it. Just having tremendous self-awareness of who he is as a hitter now. He's an animal.'
Boone added that when it comes to pinch hitting, Stanton is 'a player that's completely aware of who he is, how to prepare, how to get himself ready and mentally so tough.'
Stanton said he's learned 'how to be calm' in the 16th year of his career.
'How to relax,' he said, 'how to test your mind (and) test your body. Test everything in the situation. It's not always going to go well, but at least you can make adjustments and figure it out.'
'That's part of his game now, to be available for big at-bats off the bench,' Boone said.
When Jose Caballero got ejected for arguing with an umpire in the 10th, it meant Stanton had to remain in the game and play right field on a day Boone would have preferred for him to rest. Stanton played right field Tuesday after taking three days off from defense in St. Louis over the weekend. The Yankees hope to play him in right field at least a couple of times in the upcoming four-game set versus the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium that starts Thursday.
But Stanton was ready to go — not just physically, but also with his mindset. He got through the inning on defense, and the Yankees were grateful he's leveled up.
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'He was locked in, dialed in,' Judge said. 'Hasn't had an at-bat all night, and he was going to be ready for his moment.'
'It's great to see,' Boone said. 'What a weapon to have over there at that point in the game.'
'I feel like the idea and the mindset is usually there,' Stanton said. 'It's just usually the idea clicking and doing the rest. So, there's always adjustments, and you get smarter and better over the years, but it's just applying (it). You can have the right idea, but not execute. It's just about executing more.'
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