When the Miami Marlins agreed to trade Giancarlo Stanton to the New York Yankees, many criticized it as their biggest mistake. However, the story has so far proved to be the opposite. Now fans in the Bronx label the trade as the Yankees’ biggest flop.

On Saturday afternoon, a chorus of boos rained down from the crowd as Giancarlo Stanton walked past the first-base dugout at Yankee Stadium toward the clubhouse. This scene has become a common occurrence for Yankees fans watching Giancarlo Stanton’s performance wane over the past few seasons, especially when he’s in good health.

Giancarlo Stanton struck out three times during Saturday’s disheartening 8-1 defeat against the Red Sox, marking the Yankees’ seventh consecutive loss and another dismal offensive performance. Some of his swings appeared utterly absurd. In the sixth and ninth innings, his swing during the strikeouts was so awkward that he nearly lost his balance. In a particular instance, Giancarlo Stanton swung at a first-pitch knuckle curve from Boston’s Kutter Crawford, getting deceived so thoroughly that he resembled a golfer executing a soft practice swing with a pitching wedge, as if preparing for a round of shots at a golf driving range.

Giancarlo Stanton has lost his power

Giancarlo Stanton possesses an unparalleled ability to hit a baseball, a fact well-illustrated by watching his home run highlights on YouTube. However, there come moments when this streaky power hitter seems completely baffled at the plate. Presently, he finds himself in one of those phases, and with the progression of time, these periods of struggle have become more frequent in his performance.

Amid the Yankees’ string of seven consecutive losses until Saturday, Giancarlo Stanton has managed only two hits in 21 at-bats, resulting in a batting average of .095, accompanied by a striking tally of 12 strikeouts.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone noted that Giancarlo Stanton seemed to be struggling with his timing and occasionally swinging out of the strike zone during Saturday’s loss. Boone mentioned that he observed a few pitches that the Yankees hitter could have capitalized on but acknowledged that his performance was inconsistent in terms of staying within the strike zone.

Giancarlo Stanton has been stuck in these patterns throughout the year, except for occasional bursts of improvement. Taking into account his hitless performance on Saturday, coupled with a walk, his batting average for the season now stands at .199, along with an OPS of .718. These statistics represent the worst figures of his career, significantly lower than before.

Giancarlo Stanton’s performance disparities further highlight the decline in his bat speed, which appears to have led him to be more speculative in his approach at the plate. When he joined the Yankees from the Marlins in 2018, his batting average against four-seam fastballs was .331. In the current season, this number has dropped substantially (as of Saturday morning, he held a .229 batting average against four-seam fastballs).

His proficiency against other types of pitches is also lacking. Among Giancarlo Stanton’s 18 home runs this season, 13 have been against fastballs. He has a batting average of .182 (22-for-121) when facing breaking balls and off-speed pitches.

Leader of the flawed offensive lineup

Giancarlo Stanton’s struggles contribute to the overall inefficiencies of a flawed offensive lineup that repeatedly fails to generate consistent results. This hitter shoulders more of the responsibility due to his placement in the cleanup spot, his hefty $32 million salary for the season, and his contractual commitment spanning the next four years at least.

When questioned about the potential negative impact of Giancarlo Stanton’s struggles at the plate on the overall lineup, Boone offered a counter perspective. He acknowledged that the team was facing difficulties in various areas and the primary goal should be to identify solutions to overcome these challenges. While he acknowledged that seeing struggles, especially from the middle of the lineup, is not ideal, it’s the current situation they’re dealing with.

Yankees’ long-term contract a factor

The reality is that the Yankees are committed to Giancarlo Stanton for the foreseeable future, and his performance is a significant factor in the team’s struggles, possibly leading to a missed postseason opportunity. His two-month absence due to a hamstring injury earlier in the year, coupled with his recent lengthy stint on the injured list, has further compounded the challenges. Remarkably, the Yankees hold a 5-28 record in games where Giancarlo Stanton fails to secure a hit.

The team’s offensive woes are likely to persist as long as Giancarlo Stanton doesn’t consistently contribute. While his undeniable talent remains, and he has demonstrated periods of peak performance this summer, there’s no clear sign that his best days are yet to come. All major long-term contracts are becoming headaches for the Yankees.

Radio host holds Stanton responsible for the Yankees woes

WFAN host Gio asserts that the Yankees’ decline commenced with the acquisition of Giancarlo Stanton following the enchanting 2017 season, while Jerry contends that the team’s resurgence hinges on their willingness to absorb a substantial portion of Stanton’s contract in order to facilitate his departure.

Jerry asserted that if there was an expectation for improvement with Giancarlo Stanton. But it has proved to be a misguided one. He pointed out that the current rendition of Giancarlo Stanton might be the peak of what remains – a .200 hitter with sporadic power every 20 at-bats, along with significant slumps, yet still being a regular fixture on the field. The only feasible solution, according to Jerry, is to locate a team in dire need that would be willing to acquire Stanton, even with the Yankees covering a significant portion of his contract.

The idea being conveyed is that the current situation involves regressing in order to make more substantial progress in the future.

Gio shares Jerry’s strategy, but he identifies a significant obstacle: the challenge lies in finding a team willing to accept Giancarlo Stanton, even if the Yankees absorb a large portion of his salary. He doubts that Stanton’s situation will parallel that of Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, who were still valuable assets when traded by the Mets.

Gio expressed skepticism that any team would consider Giancarlo Stanton worthwhile, even if another team covered three-quarters of his salary.

What do you think? Leave your comment below.

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