Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees Topple Blue Jays Thanks to Giancarlo Stanton's Huge Day

Giancarlo Stanton was a star in the New York Yankees' Spring Training trouncing of the Toronto Blue Jays.
Delilah Bourque|
Mar 11, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (27) hits a 2-run home run during the third inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Mar 11, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (27) hits a 2-run home run during the third inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

In this story:

New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are back and no team will know that more than the Toronto Blue Jays. Thanks to a red-hot performance from designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton, the Pinstripes dominated Toronto with an 8-1.

Stanton, who earlier in Spring Training described the inflammation from his dual tennis elbow as so painful he cannot open a bag of chips, smacked two home runs in the outing at George M. Steinbrenner field. The first occurred in the bottom of the third inning, with Stanton scoring himself and Randal Girchuk on a 411-foot left center home run allowed by veteran Eric Lauer.

A pitcher change wasn't enough to stop Big G. In the bottom of the sixth, Stanton took Blue Jays pitcher Lázaro Estrada deep to center field with a 415 foot homer.

Stanton is off to a rocking start to 2026. Despite concerns over his pain, Stanton also hit a home run in his last game, against the Pittsburgh Pirates, bringing the total to three homers and 4 RBI in 11 at-bats. While he began the 2025 season injured, making his debut in mid June, Stanton was a major weapon for the Yankees. This year should be no different, so long as the long time designated hitter can avoid further injury.

Schlittler Also Stands Out in Second Win

Arguably the most exciting takeaway from the victory was second-year pitcher Cam Schlittler's performance. While he did give up two hits and an earned run, he also managed to nab six strikeouts in 3.2 innings.

It's an incredibly solid outing from Schlittler, who has struggled during Spring Training with painful back inflammation that kept him from throwing to begin the year. In his first game, five days ago against the Tampa Bay Rays, Schlittler also took home the win, allowing two hits and a walk with four strikeouts in 39 pitches.

Manager Aaron Boone revealed that the Yankees will be slowly trying to ramp the young right-hander to a pitch count of 70 before Opening Day. Against Toronto, Schlittler threw 46 pitches, 36 of them strikes.

While no Spring Training game will necessarily indicate what's to come in the regular season, besting a division rival who is so frequently difficult to beat has got to feel good for the Yankees. They'll play Toronto 13 times this season, and if this game is any sort of preview for how the summer will go, New York is in great shape.

To learn more about the Yankees from Spring Training and beyond, subscribe to All Yankees Talk, where new episodes are featured twice a week!

Make sure to bookmark Yankees On SI to get all your daily New York Yankees news, interviews, breakdowns and more!

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Delilah Bourque
DELILAH BOURQUE

Delilah Bourque is a writer and copyeditor based out of Pittsburgh, PA. She received her Bachelor's degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 2021. After a few years in corporate marketing, she joined On SI as a full-time copyeditor and contributor to the New York Yankees On SI, as well as occasional contributions across the Pittsburgh Pirates and Pittsburgh Steelers on SI.

Home/News