Yankees Could Have Offensive Secret Weapon

As Opening Day gets closer and closer, the New York Yankees have a good few things left to figure out. One thing that seems as sure as ever, however, is the offensive power of Giancarlo Stanton.

As good as Stanton has been since his first season with the Yankees in 2018, it's looking like he could be getting even better. This Spring Training, through 22 at-bats, Stanton has smashed four home runs and is slashing .273/ .261/ .818 for an OPS of 1.079 . While those numbers aren't exactly indicative of what's to come, Stanton's offensive power is exactly what the Yankees need. For a team still hammering out the details of an injured starting rotation, explosive hits will be what wins games.

According to Yankees manager Aaron Boone, long time major-league veteran Stanton could be doing even more with the balls he's able to smack with exit velocities over 100 MPH.

“If we can just bottle this up and move it north …” Boone said after the Yankees defeated the Baltimore Orioles (per the New York Post) “He looks great, feels great, obviously.”

Giancarlo Stanton Powering Yankees Despite Pain

Feeing great is an important part of the equation for Stanton. Last season, he was on the injured list on Opening Day and didn't debut until June due to severe tennis elbow in both arms. By the end of the regular season, he hit 24 home runs and slashed .273/ .350/ .594 for an OPS of .944. Stanton also played in the outfield for the first time since 2023 when Aaron Judge could only be in the lineup at DH.

During Spring Training, Stanton has still been dealing with the pain from his dual tennis elbow (in fact, he described it as so painful he can't open a bag of chips) but has managed an impressive performance regardless. It seems insane to say he might be able to get even better, but the proof is right there in the stats.

Mar 3, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (27) singles against Panama in the fourth inning during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

One of the biggest issues with Stanton's game through his later years is his speed. He has a reputation for being a slow runner, which can be problematic in high pressure situations. This season, however, he's visibly slimmed down and looked fairly nimble after smacking a 114.3 MPH base hit earlier this month.

With the regular season just a few days away, Stanton is more important than ever, and it looks like he's going to live up to the challenge.

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