Constructing the perfect Yankees lineup for 2021 season
By Adam Weinrib
Batting Fifth: Giancarlo Stanton, DH
The Yankees can count on Giancarlo Stanton.
Giancarlo Stanton? Turns out, he’s really freaking good. And he’s even better if you have him batting behind four All-MLB-caliber guys on a whim.
Though apparently he’s still a concern for some of our most dedicated Yankees “fans” (The haters are coming from inside the fan base!), Stanton rehabilitated himself in time for the 2020 postseason and attempted to put on an ’09 A-Rod show that unfortunately got stopped short by Michael Freaking Brosseau in Game 5 (don’t want to talk about it).
Stanton’s laser show included a .286 mark with a pair of bombs in the Wild Card Series in Cleveland, followed by a San Diego showcase (.316, four homers, 10 RBI, and some true moon-scrapers).
And that’s with the pressure very much on him, including a three-run shot to key a Yankees rally from 5-1 down against Tyler Glasnow and a grand slam to salt away Game 1 in the DS. If the Yanks hadn’t gotten cute with their pitching in Game 2, we might be talking about Stanton grabbing hold of the series all by himself en route to a World Series appearance. Sadly enough, we almost had the same narrative in place in 2019 before he got mysteriously injured against the Astros.
Big G’s our No. 5 hitter for the next seven years. Hope that’s OK with you.