Giancarlo Stanton stretches offseason grind with extra 90-minute session

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Giancarlo Stanton put in extra work at Steinbrenner Field on Tuesday. Following his regular workout, the Yankees slugger embarked on a dedicated 90-minute hitting session against a pitching machine.

Teammate DJ LeMahieu joined Giancarlo Stanton for the initial 20 minutes, providing some early companionship. Once LeMahieu departed, the Yankees DH continued the session solo, taking only short breaks to either walk around the batting cage or discuss his swings with hitting coach James Rowson. This extra focus on hitting drills suggests the power hitter is fine-tuning his approach for the upcoming season.

Giancarlo Stanton explained that if he didn’t complete his workout, he would spend the entire day thinking about it. Therefore, he saw no reason to stay at home pondering about it when he could just as well be practicing.

“If I don’t get my work in, then I’m just thinking about it all day,” he said. “So, there’s no point in being at home just thinking about doing this anyway.”

Giancarlo Stanton on comeback mission

Giancarlo Stanton, who has trimmed down, is renowned for his dedication to additional training. Even as he wrapped up his batting practice session, the 34-year-old was consistently hitting home runs to the opposite field in right.

Since his arrival with the New York Yankees in a 2018 trade from the Miami Marlins, Giancarlo Stanton has battled a series of injuries that have unfortunately prevented him from completing a full season. Over the past five years, these setbacks have forced him to miss a significant portion of games, sitting out 266 out of a possible 708 – a staggering 38%.

A closer look reveals a string of ailments that have hampered Giancarlo Stanton: a strained right biceps and PCL injury in his knee in 2019, a strained left hamstring in 2020, a strained left quad in 2021, right ankle inflammation and left Achilles tendinitis in 2022, and yet another strained left hamstring in 2023.

The impact on his performance is undeniable. Giancarlo Stanton’s batting average has dipped to .233 over the past five seasons, with 97 home runs and 259 RBIs. This stands in stark contrast to his dominant first nine seasons, where he boasted a .265 batting average, smashed 302 home runs, and drove in a whopping 772 RBIs. The Yankees are undoubtedly hoping that a clean bill of health in 2024 will allow Giancarlo Stanton to recapture his previous form and unleash his prodigious power at the plate.

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