Opposing teams intentionally walking New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge has been a hot topic as of late, and for much of the season, Giancarlo Stanton has taken advantage of the runners on base ahead of him while he was healthy. Stanton spoke about teams walking Judge and the responsibility he has hitting behind him after the Yankees' 8-7 win over the Texas Rangers on Sunday.
“It's part of the game,” Giancarlo Stanton said, via ESPN. “He's an all-time talent. So that happens. I gotta do what happened today in order for it not to happen. It's part of the game. You have some fun with it.”
Stanton did take advantage of the opportunities in the win, going 1-for-2 with a walk and 4 RBI in the win. The Yankees needed every run, as what was a blowout turned into a close game in the 9th inning before Clay Holmes shut the door. Stanton hit a sacrifice fly in the first inning, then later hit a three-run home run in the fifth inning to make the score 5-0, which came after Judge was intentionally walked. Judge did go on to homer later in the game, while Juan Soto hit two of his own as well.
It was a bounce-back performance for Marcus Stroman as well, as he pitched 5+ innings and gave up one earned run after having his start pushed back amid recent struggles. Stroman regaining form from earlier in the season would be significant for the Yankees.
Giancarlo Stanton cashing in on scoring opportunities for Yankees
With Juan Soto and Judge hitting second and third in the Yankees' lineup, that results in a lot of runners on base for the hitters coming up after them. Stanton is one of the hitters who usually is hitting behind those two, along with catcher Austin Wells, who has had a strong season.
When looking at the situational splits for Stanton this season, it is easy to see why the Yankees missed him when he was out with a hamstring injury. Stanton is batting .278 with five home runs and 30 RBI with runners in scoring position this season, according to FanGraphs. He also has a .345 on-base percentage in that situation with an .889 OPS and a 150 wRC+. When looking at when runners are just on base in general, Stanton is still productive with a 131 wRC+.
During June and July, the Yankees' offense struggled for a multitude of reasons. With Stanton out, Soto and Judge did the bulk of the work, while players like Alex Verdugo, Anthony Volpe and others struggled. Austin Wells heated up after a slow start to the season and he is now a middle of the order bat. Combine that with Stanton returning, the acquisition of Jazz Chisholm Jr., and players like Verdugo and Volpe hitting better,
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