The New York Yankees dropped their series opener against the Baltimore Orioles 4-2 on Friday night. Despite the loss, Yankees manager Aaron Boone is enjoying strong finishes from his star players. Giancarlo Stanton stole the show on Saturday night, opening up the scoring with a three-run home run in the first inning. Aaron Judge followed his lead with a solo shot of his own.
Stanton returned from a lengthy injury absence earlier this season. The former National League MVP endured a slow start to his 2025 season, but he has come alive down the stretch. With him swinging a hot bat, the New York offense might be the most formidable group in the league heading into the postseason.
According to Major League Baseball's Bryan Hoch, Stanton's home run against the Orioles is the 450th of his career.
“Giancarlo Stanton connects for his 450th career HR, a three-run shot to right field,” Hoch said. “Yankees lead the Orioles, 3-0.”
The home run did more than just give the Yankees a 3-0 lead against Baltimore. According to New York Post reporter Greg Joyce, the long ball puts Stanton ahead of some legends in MLB's all-time home run leaders.
“Giancarlo Stanton crushes a three-run shot in the top of the first inning. That's the 450th of his career, passing Vladimir Guerrero and Jeff Bagwell for sole possession of 41st place on the all-time HR list,” Joyce said.
While Stanton's bomb on Saturday night is significant, he is not the only player on a heater in New York. Judge is putting the finishing touches on what could be another MVP season. Jazz Chisholm Jr. notched 30 home runs and 30 steals in his first full season in New York. The team is firing on all cylinders, setting it up well for what could be a deep postseason run.
The Yankees are still chasing the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East. If Stanton, Judge, and Co. continue dominating offensively, the gap could be closed very fast.
