A Stantonian season: Big G is having his best year yet

Giancarlo Stanton crushes a two-run home run on Tuesday night against the Washington Nationals (Photo: @Yankees on X)

Do you ever get reminded that 51 is divisible by 17 and feel disgusted? Well, I just did, and it’s because Giancarlo Stanton has 17 homers in 51 games. 

That’s one every three games — 54 over 162. At 35 years old. 

Now that’s disgusting.

His latest blast came in the sixth inning of New York’s 5-1 victory over the Nationals in the Bronx on Tuesday night. With Cody Bellinger on first base, Big G golfed a 3-2 slider from right-hander Orlando Ribalta, nearly dropping to his knee as he annihilated the payoff pitch deep into the night. He knew it was gone from the moment it left his bat, pausing to admire the shot as it soared over the visiting bullpen and into the bleachers — a 451-foot bomb, his farthest homer of the year. 

The two-run shot followed more magic in his previous at-bat, when Stanton crushed a bases-clearing double off the left-center field wall, accounting for all five of the Yankees’ runs on the night. The ball would have been a grand slam in 20 ballparks — so he left no doubt the next time up. 

“[He’s] locked in,” said teammate Cody Bellinger. “He hits the ball harder than  anyone I’ve ever seen.”

Stanton entered 2025 with a full head of steam, fresh off a legacy-defining October in which he delivered postseason heroics nearly every time he stepped into the batter’s box. But whatever momentum the reigning ALCS MVP had was abruptly halted during training camp, when he was shut down with a pair of “tennis elbows” that sidelined him to begin the season. 

Concern surrounded Stanton’s ability to return in 2025, if at all. Now 35 years old, he’d battled injuries throughout much of his Yankee tenure, been relegated to a full-time DH, and — outside of his October heroics — shown clear signs of decline. In 2023, he hit just .191 with a .695 OPS and 87 wRC+, signaling that his career could be nearing its end. 

But Stanton did return, making his highly anticipated season debut on June 16 against the Angels in Anaheim. And if there was any doubt that Big G could return to form, he swiftly shut it down — and returned better than we’ve ever seen him before. 

Stanton has been on another planet this season, supplying a .313 batting average with a 1.051 OPS and 187 wRC+ — all clearing the numbers from his National League MVP campaign with the Marlins in 2017. Among players with at least 150 plate appearances, Stanton trails only teammate Aaron Judge in OPS and wRC+, while matching the captain’s .663 slugging percentage for the major league lead. 

He’s somehow turned it up a notch this month, pacing the league with a .404 average, .483 on-base percentage, and a .981 slugging — yes, slugging — percentage. Stanton has launched nine home runs in August, including five in his last seven games. 

Asked about Stanton’s unprecedented run on Tuesday night, manager Aaron Boone said that while he’s impressed by his power, it’s not surprising at this point. What’s been especially remarkable to Boone during this stretch has been Stanton’s ability to work deep counts and deliver quality at-bats each time he steps up to the plate. 

“This, I feel like – and it's saying a lot — is maybe as good as I've seen him, just consistency-wise,” Boone said before Tuesday’s game. “Consistency of at-bat after at-bat after at-bat. I feel like he is controlling the zone probably as well as I've ever seen him.”

Stanton — calm, cool, and collected as ever — expressed that it’s merely a matter of commanding the zone and making pitchers pay. 

“Just stacking good at-bats,” Stanton told reporters. “Taking advantage of mistakes, I would say, is most important.”

And if that wasn’t enough, he’s back to playing the field for the first time in nearly two years. While Judge nurses a flexor strain that’s limited him to DH duties, Stanton has filled in at right field in a limited capacity. Boone has been “careful" with how long he keeps him out there to avoid risking injury, but Stanton has been up for the challenge — and he’s enjoying every second. 

“It's been fun being able to contribute on both sides,” Stanton said. “I’m just making sure I’m mentally prepared for all scenarios when the ball is hit towards me.”

New York (72-60, 3rd AL East) is currently in the thick of a heated playoff race, occupying the second Wild Card spot in a crowded American League. With Judge slumping since coming off the IL, Stanton has picked up the slack — recapturing his October magic just in time for a push toward the postseason.