Tag Archives: Stanton

Giancarlo Stanton Can’t Handle the Pressure of New York

DISSECTING THE NUMBERS

Through 20 games and 91 plate appearances, Stanton has racked up a grand total of 15 hits. This accumulates to a .185 batting average, and his home run production doesn’t made him look any better. He has four home runs on the season, which puts him on pace for 32 by year’s end. This would be a 46% decrease from his total a year ago. It’s not a good look for the reigning home run champion. He has the potential to tear the cover off the ball, but it isn’t happening yet in New York. Hitting for power is his forte, so this is surely frustrating for the Yankees.

Stanton’s stats at home are particularly atrocious. As if things could get even worse, he has a dismal .100 average in front of his home fans. This is the last thing that the Yankees envisioned, but going 0 for 5 and 0 for 7 in the same week isn’t going to help the numbers. The strikeouts are also an issue. He’s currently averaging 1.6 strikeouts per game with a total of 32 K’s. This is way up from his 1.05 strikeouts per game through eight years in Miami. He really just seems out of sync from the player he’s been his whole career.

These aren’t numbers you’d expect out of Stanton, but he just seems uncomfortable all around. Striking out five times is in two separate games is unprecedented for a player of this caliber. This just goes to show how much he’s in his own head. His confidence is at rock bottom, and this isn’t helping anything.

ADAPTING TO THE CULTURE

If Stanton were to continue on this trajectory, he would finish his first season in New York hitting .185 with 32 home runs, 97 RBI’s, and 259 strikeouts. This isn’t what the Yankees are paying him to do. He is yet to earn a dime of his $25,000,000 salary, and the fans are letting him hear it. He’s been consistently showered with boos and as a result his production has declined even more. This is all part of playing in a New York, and Stanton needs to learn how to block out the noise.

The Yankees have a passionate fan base and Stanton needs to produce to get on their good side. If you don’t play up to your capabilities, the fans will be tough on you. It’s that simple. The same thing applies to Boston and the other major sports cities around the country. Nobody gets a free pass because of who they once were. You’re only as good as your last game, and Stanton is starting to figure that out. Things might be different once he gives the fans a real reason to cheer. Until then, he just has to roll with the punches.

He’ll snap out of it eventually, but Stanton has yet to prove than he can handle playing in a bigger market.

The Yankees Became a Powerhouse

Back in Time…

Remember in 2004 when Alex Rodriguez went to the Yankees? Everyone was saying the Red Sox would never win the World Series, but they did that year. The difference between the 2003 and 2018 Red Sox is they had power back then. The 2018 Red Sox have no power hitters and are now the Cleveland Browns of baseball. This Red Sox team just became the laughing stock of the American League East. An interesting stat: Stanton, Judge, and Sanchez had a combined 144 home runs last season. The entire Red Sox lineup hit 168 and got thrown out at the bases 70 times.

In Dave We Trust?

Dave Dombrowski now has to overspend on J.D. Martinez, who hit 45 home runs,104 RBI’s and had a .303 batting average last season. Derek Jeter gave his old team a discount to become a powerhouse while the Marlins are garbage and will have potentially give the Yankees control of the American League for years to come. Stanton wants to be on a winning team and the Red Sox didn’t want to give anyone up. New York makes sense for him, but the Red Sox really screwed themselves from being contenders in the American League East. They could’ve traded Bradley. You know that Dave wants to win in the short term, and they aren’t getting anywhere with this current Red Sox team.

Derek Jeter Just Made the Yankees a Powerhouse

The Yankees weren’t that much of a good team recently. But Derek Jeter just potentially made the Yankees a powerhouse for years to come, while Red Sox ownership just sits back and watches. I’ve been saying since Ortiz retired that the Red Sox need a bat. The Yankees have passed the Red Sox with this deal and it will show next season. Dombrowski had the chance to make something happen. With Abreu not coming to Boston, the only option is J.D. Martinez. Enjoy baseball, Red Sox nation, because the only thing people will be singing at Fenway Park is Sweet Caroline in the eighth inning.

The Red Sox Should Not Trade for Stanton

The Money

The Sox would owe Stanton fat stacks. Yes, Stanton is an all-world talent and worth a lot of money. Yes, he is still only 27 years old. But other options can be had much cheaper that aren’t much worse at the plate. Giancarlo Stanton will get $285M over the next 10 seasons. He then has a team option in 2028 for $25M. If one assumed that wouldn’t be picked up, the team would still owe him $10M as a buyout of his contract. Bare minimum. For the $295M owed to Stanton, JD Martinez could be had for half of that, maybe even less than half. Is Stanton really worth that much more than Martinez? That answer is no.

The Cost of Trade

If you do believe Stanton is worth all that much money, how about the trade aspect? JD Martinez is a free agent. No players would have to be given up to acquire him. Stanton would cost players, and good ones at that, in addition to the near $300M. How could someone justify spending $150-$175M more and good players on top of it for Stanton as opposed to Martinez? Who would it take to acquire Stanton? A centerpiece of Jackie Bradley Jr. or Xander Bogaerts along with a couple prospects? Or maybe all of them. In theory Stanton would be worth such a package, but considering all angles that’s not the case.

The Statistics

Giancarlo Stanton catches the third out in the second inning during game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on May 25, 2015 (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

Stanton is actually a better defender than Martinez. He is surprisingly solid for someone his size, but unless we move Bradley neither of these guys would be acquired to play the field. If they are designated hitters, defense is a moot point. So let’s just focus on the offense.

JD Martinez had his breakout four seasons ago. Over that four-year span, how much better has Stanton been than Martinez? In the last four years Giancarlo Stanton has batted .271 with a .939 OPS. JD Martinez in those same four years has hit for a .300 average with a .936 OPS. Martinez hits for a much higher average, but Stanton walks a lot more so their on base percentages are very similar — .366 for Stanton to .362 for Martinez. That actually leaves Martinez with the very slight edge in slugging, .574 to .573. Surprise!

When it comes to home runs, Giancarlo Stanton has averaged 38 home runs over those four seasons. That number jumps to 49 per 162 games due to injuries. Martinez lags behind, but not so far behind that Stanton becomes worth that much more than him. Martinez has averaged 32 home runs per year, or 40 home runs per 162 games played. The reason his slugging is higher is he gets more hits and a lot more doubles. Their triple slash lines are nearly identical.

Giancarlo Stanton vs JD Martinez

Stanton takes aim at the ugly sculpture in center field.

Year	Tm	Lg	G	PA	AB	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
2014	MIA	NL	145	638	539	31	1	37	105	.288	.395	.555	.950
2015	MIA	NL	74	318	279	12	1	27	67	.265	.346	.606	.952
2016	MIA	NL	119	470	413	20	1	27	74	.240	.326	.489	.815
2017	MIA	NL	159	692	597	32	0	59	*132*	.281	.376	.631	1.007

Year	Tm	Lg	G	PA	AB	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
2014	DET	AL	123	480	441	30	3	23	76	.315	.358	.553	.912
2015	DET	AL	158	657	596	33	2	38	102	.282	.344	.535	.879
2016	DET	AL	120	517	460	35	2	22	68	.307	.373	.535	.908
2017	TOT	MLB	119	489	432	26	3	45	104	.303	.376	.690	1.066
2017	DET	AL	57	232	200	13	2	16	39	.305	.388	.630	1.018
2017	ARI	NL	62	257	232	13	1	29	65	.302	.366	.741	1.107

I’m not saying Martinez is better than Stanton, though the numbers show the difference might not be so large. All I’m saying is, there isn’t even close to a $150M gap between them, let alone some good players on top of it.

JD Martinez hits a 3-run home run off of Matt Wisler (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)

Why not add them both?

Hey, I’d be all for adding them both. If the Sox were to sign JD Martinez and then trade, say, Jackie Bradley Jr. and a prospect or two for Stanton they could slide Betts to center, put Stanton in right and DH Martinez. That is one heck of a lineup. How do you pay both of them though? The Red Sox would soar well past the luxury tax and be stuck above it for years to come. With Chris Sale, Mookie Betts and others needing to be paid in a couple years the payroll is going to rise, not decrease.

And if we miss on JD Martinez?

If we were to whiff on JD Martinez, then I would more seriously explore trading for Stanton. There is no other bat available that can compare. Eric Hosmer is available and has a solid bat, but he is no true power threat like the Red Sox need. They need a thumper, someone opposing pitchers should fear. Hosmer is an up and down offensive player with 20-25 home run power. There are also rumors he is looking for 200 million dollars which borderlines on the absurd.

I would definitely pay Stanton his contract and give up something to get him before entertaining that. Just no trading Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi or Rafael Devers. If we were to acquire him without giving up any of them would I be upset? Probably not. Like I said, I love Stanton, he is one of my favorite players. The Red Sox just better let us in to watch our home team take batting practice.

Does Giancarlo Stanton already “Win-Dance-Repeat”?

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