Inside The Pinstripes

Giancarlo Stanton Hasn't Felt This Locked in Since His MVP Season

New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton said that he hasn't felt this locked in since he won the Most Valuable Player Award with the Miami Marlins in 2017
Max Goodman|
Giancarlo Stanton Hasn't Felt This Locked in Since His MVP Season
Giancarlo Stanton Hasn't Felt This Locked in Since His MVP Season

Giancarlo Stanton has been one of baseball's most prodigious sluggers for a decade. He's won an MVP Award, hit 347 career home runs and made four All-Star Game appearances.

What Stanton has done over the last few days with the Yankees, however, is something that he's never been done before. 

With another tape-measure home run on Tuesday night in Toronto—going 2-for-5 in New York's seventh win in a row—Stanton drove in three runs. That means the slugger has 13 RBI in his last four games, the most he's ever had in a four-game span in his career.

Tuesday night was the perfect example of just how locked in Stanton is at the plate right now. After three at-bats he'd like to have back, Stanton took a pitch a few inches from the dirt and deposited it high into the second deck in left field. 

In his fifth at-bat of the night, he took a high fastball and sent a rocket off the wall in right field for a double.

Stanton's numbers are bonkers, even beyond his record-setting total of RBI. The slugger is batting .529 (9-for-17) in those four days with four homers. In his last six ballgames, Stanton is hitting .458 (11-for-24) with five long balls and 15 RBI. 

Asked if he can remember a time where he's felt this good at the plate, Stanton didn't hesitate.

"I'd say probably sometime in '17," he said.

In 2017, Stanton slugged 59 homers, driving in 132 runs while posting a 1.007 OPS over 159 games en route to a National League Most Valuable Player Award with the Marlins. That was also his final year in Miami, moving up to the Bronx the following offseason after a blockbuster trade with New York. 

So, what has allowed Stanton to achieve this unreal level of success in the midst of New York's most important stretch of the season, playing must-win games with a postseason spot on the line? 

Stanton said he's been able to stay within himself, never trying to do too much. With that approach, the 31-year-old has been unstoppable. 

"You've got to take what the pitcher is giving you and be strong with your approach and know that they're not perfect," Stanton said. "The fact that they're not perfect means they're trying to execute, but you can get their mistake. So just trusting yourself and being calm in those moments are the the best things to do."

READ: Jameson Taillon Abruptly Exits Game in Return From Injured List

Stanton's recent tear has been a topic of discussion practically every day during New York's seven-game winning streak. Tuesday night, manager Aaron Boone chuckled to himself as he broke down the slugger's dominance one more time.

"I mean he's just locked in. Just a guy that's really prepared and really talented and not missing when he gets a pitch that he's looking for," Boone said. "He's a unicorn. We just kind of shake our heads sometimes."

New York is going to need Stanton to continue to excel down the stretch and into October if they want to contend for a title this year. A trip to the playoffs isn't even a guarantee yet. After the win against the Blue Jays, the Bombers are now two games in front of the Red Sox, holding on to home-field advantage for the Wild Card Game. 

Fellow slugger Aaron Judge explained that Stanton's impact has transcended expectations. Without fail, Stanton has produced in the biggest spots, something you don't see too often.

"Any big moment, any big situation, he's gonna come through," Judge said. "He just goes up there and does this thing and gives us a big lead or swings the game back in our favor. It's just impressive what he's been able to do. Just day in and day out, every single night, he's coming up with a big hit for us."

Follow Max Goodman on Twitter (@MaxTGoodman), be sure to bookmark Inside The Pinstripes and check back daily for news, analysis and more.

Published
Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Yankees for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. Goodman has been on the Yankees beat for three seasons. He is also the publisher of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Jets site, Jets Country. Before starting Inside The Pinstripes, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. At school, Goodman was an anchor and reporter with NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. While at Northwestern, Goodman interned with MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman. You can connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

Share on XFollow MaxTGoodman
Home/News