Giancarlo Stanton made a mark on his debut with the New York Yankees. The man hit a home run in his first plate appearance and again in the ninth as the Yanks began piling it on. Becoming the first player since Roger Maris in 1960 to hit two home runs in his Yankee debut, Stanton has started off the season the best way possible. Stanton is also the first Yankee since Joe Pepitone (1960) to hit two home runs on Opening Day. In addition to his two home runs, Stanton also collected an RBI double in the fifth inning off of John Axford. In total, Stanton accounted for five of the Yankees’ six runs in the winning effort against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Both of Stanton’s home runs were impressive shots. He already holds claim to the hardest hit ball of 2018, with his first inning home run off of JA Happ leaving the bat at 117.4 MPH (according to Statcast). Not to be outdone by his earlier performance, Stanton launched a ball to center field off of Tyler Clippard. Only traveling at 109.4 MPH, this one traveled further than his earlier home run (426 ft), going 434 ft.
Lifting Early Pressure
While it was only Opening Day, it is important that Giancarlo Stanton started off the season on a good foot. Any player who comes to the Yankees has to be prepared for being under the microscope more so than any other time in their career. Some players thrive under that type of pressure (i.e. CC Sabathia) while others struggle since they are unable to handle the scrutiny (AJ Burnett). Stanton said that he was prepared for the scrutiny during Spring Training, but who really knows until it happens. Coming from Miami, where the fans barely attend games, it would be easy to predict that the bright lights of the Bronx might put a burden on Stanton’s back. Especially considering the massive expectations that were placed on him.
The important thing about his Opening Day performance is that it shows productions before he plays a game in Yankee Stadium. Imagine the scrutiny that would have happened if Stanton still had yet to do much by Monday (Yankee’s home opener). Now, Stanton has given himself some cushion to the pressure. While it is only short-term, Stanton does not have immediate pressure to produce for the Yankee fans. Hitting two home runs on Opening Day was both memorable and exciting. If he struggles the next couple of games, fans have that Opening Day performance to keep them in good spirits.
A Glimpse of a Daunting Lineup
Once again, it is only Opening Day. So every analysis to come from the games on Thursday can be taken with a grain of salt. However, what the MLB saw in Toronto was potentially the looming threat to come in the form of the Yankees’ 2-3-4 hitters. While Greg Bird was initially penned to bat somewhere in the middle of that, it seems clear that stacking Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Gary Sanchez is the way to go for now. I think that those who say that you cannot stack three right-handed hitters together is simply over thinking the game. Those three are the three best hitters on the roster.
Can an opposing team bring in one bullpen arm to face all three in a row since they are right-handed? Yes. But two of the three actually hit worse against left-handed pitching than right-handed. Judge is batting a career .211 against left-handed pitching while Sanchez is at .239 (compared to .297 against right-handed pitching). Even taking out Judge’s awful 2016 partial season, he is still only batting .230 against lefties. If Stanton is standing between them, you are not bringing in a lefty to face that part of the order.
The matchup argument is kind of mute. An early bullpen change will be more about depth and a late-game change will be the best available arm. A right on right matchup will be less concerning to the other team.
The lineup that has those three bombers in the middle is dangerous. Blue Jays’ catcher Russell Martin discussed the difficulty in calling pitches against the lineup. To paraphrase Martin, you know balls will be leaving the yard, so hope that there is nobody on base when it happens.
Stanton Sets a Record
Earlier I mentioned that Giancarlo Stanton’s first home run had an exit velocity of 117.4 MPH. That set a record for the fastest home run to the opposite field in the Statcast era (since 2015). Stanton had the hardest hit ball last season, clocking in at 122.2 MPH on a single. This season should be a competitive one between Judge and Stanton to see who will hit the hardest ball as well as who will hit more home runs. Like Maris and Mantle, Stanton and Judge should be entertainment throughout the season.