BALTIMORE — Giancarlo Stanton added another milestone to his career on Saturday night when he crushed his 450th home run in the New York Yankees’ 6-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.
The three-run blast off Orioles starter Tomoyuki Sugano came in the first inning and moved Stanton past Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero and Jeff Bagwell into 41st place on Major League Baseball’s all-time home run list. For the Yankees, fighting for playoff positioning, it also delivered an early 3-0 cushion in a key September matchup.
“It’s pretty cool,” Stanton told YES Network after the game. “We like round numbers. It’s cool to see the names I’m catching and tying, going above. Most importantly, it helped us win.”
Elite company in record time
Giancarlo Stanton became the fifth-fastest player in MLB history to reach 450 home runs, doing so in 1,719 career games. Only Babe Ruth, Mark McGwire, Alex Rodriguez and Harmon Killebrew got there quicker.
The 35-year-old joined an exclusive list, becoming just the sixth player to record his 450th homer in a Yankees uniform. He also leads all active players in career home runs, with the Angels’ Mike Trout at 400 and teammate Paul Goldschmidt at 372 sitting behind him.
With two outs and two strikes against Sugano, Stanton worked the count and then drove an 84 mph sweeper to right field. The ball just cleared Camden Yards’ raised wall, measured at 358 feet with an exit velocity of 104.2 mph. Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger, who had singled earlier in the inning, both came around to score.
The shot may not have been one of Stanton’s longest, but it carried the same weight as his towering blasts.
Remarkable comeback from injury
This milestone was especially meaningful given Stanton’s rocky start to the season. He missed New York’s first 70 games while recovering from tendinitis in both elbows, raising doubts about his durability and long-term role.
When he returned in mid-June, questions lingered. Stanton quickly answered them with production. Since rejoining the lineup, he has posted a .268 batting average, a .341 on-base percentage, and a .575 slugging percentage. In 228 at-bats, he has hit 21 home runs and added seven doubles.
That power surge marked the 14th season in his 16-year career with 20 or more home runs.
“It’s so unique how he does it, how routinely hard he hits the baseball,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone told YES. “But just a really cool day for him and for us as teammates. He has so much respect from all of us.”
The 500 club beckons
Only 28 players in baseball history have hit 500 home runs, and Stanton’s next target is clear. That milestone would all but secure his place in Cooperstown.
“A lot of swings away from 500,” Stanton said. “Of course you think about it. You understand that if you bear down, I’m capable of doing it. One at a time. That’s all I can do.”
Stanton turns 36 in November and is under contract with New York through 2027. If his health holds and his production continues, 500 looks within reach.
Boone had no doubt about where Stanton’s career is headed.
“He’s still going in what’s a Hall of Fame career,” Boone said. “It’s a big number, 450, and it came with a three-run shot in the first. I feel like he’s got a lot left, a lot more to go.”
Building a Cooperstown resume
Stanton’s accolades already make a strong case. He is a five-time All-Star and the 2017 National League MVP, known for his unmatched raw power. But injuries since his trade from Miami to New York before the 2018 season have shaped much of the narrative around him.
Asked about Boone’s Hall of Fame comments, Stanton kept the focus on his daily work.
“It’s cool to hear,” he said. “Still rolling. That’s for you guys to debate about. I’ll just come in every day, try to do everything I can.”
Starting pitcher Carlos Rodon believes Stanton belongs in the conversation.
“Obviously, one of the clubhouse leaders in here. A lot of knowledge. Has played the game for a long time,” Rodón said. “As you know, an incredible player, but a great person as well. Who knows what happens? Obviously, he’s still got a few years left in him. I’m excited to see him hit many more homers.”
Young fan gets special memory
After the game, Stanton received the historic baseball from a young fan named Everett, who was wearing his jersey. The boy asked for nothing in exchange but met Stanton near the clubhouse.
“Cool little boy,” Stanton said.
The slugger gave him a bat and several signed baseballs in return, creating a lifelong memory for the young supporter.
Stanton surpasses an Angels icon
By passing Guerrero, Stanton moved beyond one of the game’s most dynamic hitters. Guerrero, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018 with 92.9 percent of the vote, finished with a .318 career batting average, 449 home runs and 1,496 RBI.
During his 16 seasons with the Expos, Angels, Rangers and Orioles, Guerrero earned nine All-Star selections and eight Silver Sluggers. He also became the first Hall of Famer to wear an Angels cap on his plaque, cementing his ties to Anaheim despite spending more time with Montreal.
Guerrero won the 2004 American League MVP and was famous for his ability to hit pitches far outside the strike zone, making consistent hard contact and rarely striking out while producing elite power.
Stanton’s profile is different. His reputation has been built almost entirely on sheer strength and exit velocity. At times, he has led the league in pure power output.
Boone summed it up in simple terms.
“The man is dangerous. A unicorn,” Boone said. “It’s so unique how he does it, so unique how routinely hard he hits the baseball. Just a really cool day for him and us as his teammates.”
As Carl Yastrzemski sits just ahead at 452 career home runs, Stanton now has his next legend in sight. Each swing takes him one step closer to the 500 milestone and, possibly, Cooperstown.
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