Giancarlo Stanton isn’t as bad defensively for the NY Yankees as you might think

NY Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton isn’t bad with the glove.

Giancarlo Stanton, the super talented, oft-injured power hitter for the NY Yankees is known mostly for his bat, but his glove isn’t as bad as you might suspect.

It seems a foregone conclusion that Stanton is destined for a role as the primary designated hitter when (if) baseball resumes in 2020.

This isn’t the worst idea in the world considering the general fragility Stanton has shown throughout his career and the investment the Yankees have in him.

Giancarlo Stanton could still be a good outfielder for the NY Yankees

In general, the Yankees outfielders are a fragile bunch. Not only has Stanton played fewer than 125 games in six of his ten seasons, but Aaron Judge has only played in more than 112 games once in his three-year career.

Aaron Hicks has also seen his fair share of time on the injury list as a Yankee, playing in less than 90 games in both 2017 and 2019. Brett Gardner is the only current outfielder the Yankees have who has been reasonably healthy throughout his career. Since 2010, Garnder has played less than 140 games just once.

The NY Yankees will have a crowded outfield this season. With there being a good chance rosters will be extended for however long the season might be in 2020, expect at least six players could see fairly regular action – Stanton, Judge, Hicks, Garnder, Clint Frazier, and Mike Tauchman.

Counting the DH spot, only four of them will be able to start. If Stanton and Judge are healthy, the Yankees will need their bats every day. Hicks figures to play most days in center. Gardner is almost 37, so it is okay if he slips into a reserve role, leaving him, Frazier, and Tauchman to rotate on leftfield.

If you take health concerns out of the picture, though, Stanton isn’t a terrible fielder. According to Fangraphs, and discounting last season’s 13 games, he has only scored a negative in Ultimate Zone Rating and Defensive Runs Saved once in 2013. He earned a UZR of 8.3 in rightfield in 2017 and a 4.6 in leftfield in 2018 with the Yankees.

If Stanton is indeed healthy and has to play some in the field, he can do so and account well for himself. He may not be the defensive star Judge is in rightfield (27.2  UZR over the last three seasons) or as good as Garnder has been in the past in left, but he is not an embarrassment by any means with his glove.

Yes, the Yankees need to protect both Stanton and Judge as much as they can by giving them time at DH, especially if the 2020 schedule includes several doubleheaders. It is good to know that Stanton will hold his own when called upon to play the field.

Giancarlo Stanton is more critical to the NY Yankees because of his bat rather than his glove, but he will need to be used in the field and won’t be able to settle into just the DH role just yet.