The Yankees and Aaron Boone have been keen to take Giancarlo Stanton’s lack of pace to restrict his harm threat and get him via the common season.
The identical is true within the playoffs.
The oft-injured Stanton, who has handled calf, hamstring and quad points over the previous 5 seasons, could have price the Yankees a pair of runs in Sunday’s win over Kansas Metropolis, when he was unable to attain from first on Oswaldo Cabrera’s double to right-center or beat out a chopper to 3rd with Juan Soto on third to finish the sixth.
“It’s one thing we’ve type of obtained to dwell with,’’ Boone stated Sunday on a Zoom name from Yankee Stadium. “Whether or not you’ve seen it through the years with a specific participant that’s extremely sluggish that’s an impactful participant, it’s one thing we’ve obtained to dwell with.”
Boone and Stanton don’t wish to put the 34-year-old in extra jeopardy of lacking time, even in October, when each out is extra beneficial.
In 2019, Stanton suffered a quad harm that price him three straight video games within the ALCS in opposition to the Astros, and he was hobbled when he returned for Sport 5 and needed to sit once more within the decisive Sport 6.
“He’s obtained to do what he’s obtained to do,’’ Boone stated. “He’s attempting to get to what’s his prime pace in a fluid method, as finest he can.”
Stanton has lengthy had among the many slowest dash speeds within the league, based on Statcast, and that continued this season.
His 5.07 seconds to first base in the course of the common season was the slowest of his profession and the third-slowest within the majors, trailing solely catchers Ali Sanchez and Yasmani Grandal.
However his total dash pace of 24.5 ft per second was simply the Nineteenth-worst in MLB, with loads of fellow slow-footed catchers, first basemen and DHs forward of Stanton.
Observe The Submit’s protection of the Yankees within the postseason:
“It’s a managed gait he is aware of he’s obtained to get into,’’ Boone stated. “He’s burned himself when he’s tried to throttle again up or down. That’s when he is aware of he’s been caught [before].”
The operating model helped enable Stanton to play in additional video games and have extra plate appearances — with the next OPS — this previous season than any since 2021.
Even with the added precaution, in addition to a slimmed-down physique, Stanton nonetheless missed over a month with a strained hamstring this previous season.
However the Yankees have seen the injury his bat can do this time of 12 months, with a profession .932 postseason OPS.
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