Baseball Chat

[BullNBear52]

What to make of Stanton?
Stanton has been on a tear in his last five games, going 8-for-19 with three home runs and seven RBIs. He’s looked like his vintage self, making a bunch of hard contact even when he gets out.

But what should we make of this recent sampling from Stanton? Is it just another one of his streaks where he can carry an offense himself? Or is this what we should continue to expect?

Big G 💪 pic.twitter.com/C16xcnGnMN

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) April 11, 2024

One area to look at is how he’s hitting high-velocity pitches. In 2023, MLB’s average fastball velocity was just over 94 mph. On all pitches 94 mph or harder last season, Stanton had an OPS of just .613 with six home runs.

This year, Stanton is 1-for-10 on pitches over 94 mph. He collected his lone hit Monday when he pulled a 94 mph sinker over the heart of the plate for a 116 mph single.

Stanton’s biggest problem last season at the plate was his inability to hit high-velocity pitches. He’s yet to show improvement in this area.

Stanton is the exit velocity king in MLB. When he connects, it comes off the bat differently than everyone else. But remain cautious in declaring him fully back until he shows he can hit high-velocity pitches. — Kirschner
https://theathletic.com/5407394/2024/04/11/yankees-takeaways-giancarlo-stanton-trent-grisham/?source=nyt&access_token=11932965