TAMPA – It may be early March, but Giancarlo Stanton is already posting some impressive Statcast numbers.
Stanton’s first spring hit was a double on the left Sunday in a 4-0 win over the Phillies at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
He jumped from his bat against Philadelphia incumbent Zack Wheeler, and the exit speed was measured at 109.4 mph.
Then, in the fifth, the DH drilled a double-deep center, this time in front of Ivan Nova, and entered 109.8 mph.
“He seems ready to start,” DJ LeMahieu said. “I had a couple of missiles today. That’s Big G for you there. “
The Yankees have more than Stanton, who has been unable to stay healthy for most of the last two seasons before exploding into last year’s playoffs with six homers in seven games.
“Stanton has been lifting the ball,” Aaron Judge said. “It looks like last year’s playoff form.”
Aaron Boone has spoken brilliantly about Stanton’s approach throughout the spring, saying the 31-year-old has matured as a hitter and in some ways may be better than he was in 2017, when Stanton hit 59 homers. and won the National League MVP. Marlins.
He was traded to the Yankees this offseason and hit 38 homers in his freshman year in the Bronx while battling a hamstring injury and has since been limited to 41 regular-season games over the past two seasons.
The flashbacks Stanton showed last October – and again on Sunday – have left Yankees excited about what might come next, but he has yet to prove he can stay on the field.
“Giancarlo is healthy and that’s the end result for him now,” Boone said.
While Stanton hit the ball harder than anyone on Sunday, Brett Gardner provided the only runs with his big second-inning slam to Wheeler.
“It simply came to our notice then [Gardner] something to talk to the big boys, “Boone said of the shot on the right field line.” That will put some air in their sails. “
The judge said the slider was down and in and “right [Gardner’s] wheelhouse “.
More important than the race at home is the quality of the 37-year-old bats after signing just before the camp opened after a prolonged process of free agents.
“I liked his look,” Boone said.
The manager added that he told coach Marcus Thames that Gardner could be ahead of where he was now a year ago at the time, but Thames disagreed.
Either way, he was able to wait for Wheeler’s breaking ball for his first day of spring and later retired from Ivan Nova.
Boone said so far there are no plans to make any cuts to the major league camp, but they will take advantage of Monday’s day off to rearrange where some players are, with more players on the 40-man list expected to be move from the minor league complex to Steinbrenner Field before Tuesday.
When asked what he has noticed most about his team right now during spring training, Boone said, “My depth has stood out to me. We try to get lineups for a handful of days and there are a lot of good players to get into. ”
He also praised the “business hunger and mindset that is taking shape.”