Kansas City, MO. – When something needs to be said, giancarlo stanton This ensures that his voice is heard. He may not be the loudest or most bombastic in the room; In fact, he is one of the most reserved players New York YankeesStill, when he speaks during batsmen’s meetings, everyone knows to pay attention.
“His words mean something,” hitting coach James Rawson said. “He doesn’t always talk. When something matters he will talk. That’s how it works.
“I can tell you, internally, he has a powerful voice, and we love when he uses it because his experience goes so far with our group.”
Stanton lets his bat do most of the talking. In moments when he has had to struggle or face injury, he has always taken accountability without any hesitation. Still, he once remarked, “I don’t get paid to be a standup guy or say the right things. I’m here to help build a championship and win it.”
On Wednesday, he really demonstrated why he’s one of the mlbHighest Paid Sluggers. In the fourth inning, Stanton launched a screamer at 114.1 mph that hit the left-center field wall for an RBI double, giving the Yankees a 1–0 lead. Four innings later, with the score tied at 2, he crushed a huge solo home run over the left field wall. It was his 12th home run in just 30 postseason games for the Yankees, helping them go 3–2. That was all the Yankees needed to secure Game 3 and take a 2-1 series lead kansas city royalsSetting the stage for a chance to advance to the American League Championship Series with a win on Thursday.
Stanton launches a home run on a 3-1 count against Royals reliever chris bubicBut it was the 2-1 pitch that set in motion the silence that descended over Kauffman Stadium moments later. Bubic delivered a slider that missed the bottom of the strike zone. Stanton tracked it all the way to the Royals catcher salvador perez‘s glove. On the next pitch, Perez. Signaled for a slider up-inside, but Bubic missed his spot. It landed in roughly the same spot as the 2-1 slider. This time, Stanton didn’t let it go.
“That’s what I came here for.” , @giancarlo818 pic.twitter.com/vFUbxjzrzM
– New York Yankees (@Yankees) 10 October 2024
“It wasn’t a bad pitch,” Stanton said. “Just got down to size, was on time and was able to get it out.”
A few hours before the first pitch, Stanton was on the field taking early batting practice, with assistant hitting coach Casey Dykes running the pitching machine and Rawson and bench coach Brad Ausmus watching from behind the cage. In between swings, Stanton, Rawson and Ausmus would watch video to make sure his mechanics were in sync.
When his batting practice was over, Stanton walked down the dugout stairs toward the clubhouse with a smile on his face. His teammates knew one of the most dangerous sluggers of this generation was ready for liftoff.
“From the first at-bat to the last at-bat, I could see how stuck he was,” the Yankees third baseman said. jazz chisholm jr Said. “He was doing his work all day. Even watching him swing while working out in the cage before the game, you could see he was really into his work. I expected a big day from him.”
Stanton went 1-for-8 at the plate in Game 3 of the series, having only managed to lift one ball into the outfield in the first two games – his other outs came from ground balls and a strikeout. While he was firing the missiles, they remained on the ground, an adverse effect due to lack of speed. Yankees manager Aaron Boone remained optimistic, believing that Stanton’s timing was simply ticking. he was right.
Throughout the season, all attention focused on the Yankees’ offensive success aaron judge And juan sotoOften compared to the modern counterparts of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Judge hit 58 home runs; Soto, career-best 41. Stanton was largely the forgotten man. Stanton finished with a career-worst 86 wRC+ last year but bounced back this season with a 116 wRC+. He was the Yankees’ third-best hitter this season, but he can be frustrating at times in ways that many other hitters are not. He will swing at pitches far away from the plate and in the dirt. Because of his strength he doesn’t pick up the ball as often as he should. He would miss more than 30 percent of his plate appearances.
“I don’t think he gives a —-,” Boone reported. athletic“He is just a killer and mentally strong and gives no consequences. It has no effect on him. If he goes out there and swings and looks terrible and everyone is yelling at him, he’s mentally off. I think it brings out the best in him because he knows what’s on the line.
it It is October.
The most surprising moment of Stanton’s postseason career came in the sixth inning. After hitting a single, Stanton stole second base. It was his first stolen base in four years, which surprised everyone in the Yankees dugout. first baseman Osvaldo Cabrera Stanton said stealing the base sent a message the entire time: He would do whatever was necessary to win.
Winning it all could cement Stanton’s legacy in pinstripes for eternity. Among all Yankees with at least 30 postseason games in franchise history, Stanton’s .964 OPS ranks fourth all-time. You know the other three by the same names: Ruth, Gehrig, Reggie. The only thing missing from Stanton’s resume is a title. That’s what matters most in the Bronx.
“Whatever the case may be, there’s no point in not being successful here,” Stanton said. “Working is always my job, and it has its ups and downs, but here we are now.”
(Photo: Ed Zerga/Getty Images)
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