Giancarlo Stanton arrived in New York as a Yankee out of central casting. He had movie-star looks, a Greek god’s build, a National League MVP Award and a penchant for hitting baseballs deep into the night.
It would have been preferable had he shown up as a left-handed slugger to take advantage of the Stadium’s right-field porch, but that was a fairly minor detail that could be overlooked. Stanton was supremely talented, and he was supremely tough. He was once hospitalized by a fastball that effectively broke his face, and he got right back into the box as soon as he could.
But ultimately the 6-foot-6, 245-pound man who had hit 59 homers for the Marlins in 2017 was supplanted by the 6-7, 282-pound man who would hit an American League-record 62 homers for the Yankees in 2022. The most storied franchise in American sports became Aaron Judge’s team, and Stanton took a sidestep into Judge’s all-consuming shadow.
And yet here we are in the playoffs, two games deep, and Judge hasn’t only temporarily forgotten how to hit 450-foot home runs; he’s temporarily forgotten how to hit, period.
Seven strikeouts, a walk, a groundout and — believe it or not — a round of Stadium boos in nine plate appearances, and look no further for a reason why the Yankees are headed to Cleveland in a 1-1 Division Series tie after Friday’s 4-2 defeat. Of course Judge deserves the benefit of the doubt from one and all. It’s quite possible that the right fielder will rediscover his groove overnight and turn Progressive Field into his personal Wiffle Ball park.
Giancarlo Stanton reacts after hitting a two-run home run in the first inning. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
It’s also possible that Judge has fallen into a slump at the worst possible time, and that his successful pursuit of Roger Maris took more out of him than anyone realized. In that event, Stanton cannot continue to play Robin to Judge’s Batman in this postseason.
He needs to become Batman until further notice.
In the first inning, Stanton set a most encouraging tone against Shane Bieber, who entered the day with a career 7.52 ERA in four starts against the Yankees, including his wild card-round flameout in 2020. Angered by a 3-1 cutter that was clearly low and outside and yet called a strike, flustered enough by plate ump Jeremie Rehak to discard his stoic disposition and throw up his hands, Stanton launched Bieber’s next pitch into the right-field seats for a two-run homer.
A few steps out of the box, he defiantly threw his bat to the ground. The crowd went wild on a cloudless day in The Bronx, and it sure seemed the Yankees would be heading to Cleveland with a chance to sweep this best-of-five. No, it didn’t quite work out that way. The Guardians proved they aren’t Central Division pushovers, and they fought back to tie Game 2 before winning it on a couple of bloops in the 10th.
Meanwhile, on the losing side, the focus shifted to Judge’s inability to do anything with the lumber in his hands. After the never-ending magic show he put on during the regular season, it was shocking to hear some fans boo him after his fourth strikeout in the seventh.
Giancarlo Stanton delivers a two-run home run in the first inning. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Aaron Judge reacts after striking out in the seventh inning. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“The series ain’t over,” Stanton said of his friend. “He’s had, what, 10 or less at bats? It’s a small sample size. He’s got plenty of time, or he’s got time. And it’s over now. So that don’t matter. We’ve got to win two out of three and he’s going to help us do so.”
Stanton is probably right. Judge will surely fix his broken timing and send something to the moon on Saturday night.
But if that doesn’t happen, Stanton will need to fill that hole in the lineup over the weekend. He has the qualifications.
Stanton now has 10 home runs in 20 postseason games. He just joined Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth and Jim Thome as the only sluggers ever to hit nine postseason homers in a 12-game span. His ratio of one homer every 6.9 at bats is the best ever among players with at least 50 postseason at-bats.
“He’s real diligent,” Aaron Boone said. “He does a great job of blocking everything out and being really strict and disciplined to his plan, and having a tough mindset in going up there and committing to that. … He knows what it takes and has his mind in a good place.”
Across the board, Stanton’s October numbers are better than Judge’s by a lot. Asked about his success when the games matter most, Stanton said that postseason adjustments “are more important than during the season, because they’ve got to come quickly and they’re most likely do or die. I’ve been fortunate to make the right adjustments and be on time for some pitches, and I’ve got to keep doing it.”
Once upon a time, Stanton was given a record $325 million deal by the Marlins to be the most imposing force in the sport. Now all the talk is about how Judge could end up with an even bigger guarantee this winter.
But before they get to free agency, the Yankees have to get to the ALCS. And they might need Giancarlo Stanton to be the slugger they acquired before Aaron Judge became Aaron Judge.