Yankees fortunes of Stanton, Verdugo take a noticeable flip late in the season
- August 23, 2024
- 10:57 am
- One Comment
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Follow UsThe New York Yankees’ 2024 season began with Alex Verdugo bringing energy to the team’s dugout and fans clamoring for Giancarlo Stanton‘s head for his lack of spark. However, with only a fifth of the Yankees season remaining, Verdugo seems to have lost his ‘pace’DAWG’ aura while Stanton is roaring back with big hits.
In Thursday’s 6-0 win over the Cleveland Guardians, the New York Yankees saw Stanton emerging as the key player, breaking through a game that had relied heavily on the offensive firepower of Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. This time, it was he who delivered the decisive blow.
The pivotal moment arrived in the fifth inning with the Yankees up by two runs and two men on base. After Soto grounded into a force out and Judge was intentionally walked for the 16th time this season, Stanton stepped up. He launched a three-run homer into Monument Park in deep center field, effectively putting the game out of reach for the Guardians.
Stanton’s 21st home run of the season wasn’t an easy hit. Facing a full-count, two-out scenario, the Yankees DH connected with an 82 mph slider from Cleveland’s Nick Sandlin. Despite the pitch being low and away, Stanton managed to power the ball 417 feet with an exit velocity of 105.1 mph and a launch angle of 26 degrees.
After the game, Stanton underscored the importance of the victory, stressing that every series win would be crucial as the season progresses. “Big, big to get that series,” he said, “Every series is going to be big the rest of the way.”
Aaron Judge, who contributed his league-leading 48th home run earlier in the game, lauded Stanton’s ability to connect with difficult pitches. Judge recalled a similar situation against the Rangers, where Stanton drove a low slider for a three-run shot. He noted the Yankees’ hardest hitter’s remarkable ability to generate power from challenging pitches, crediting his impressive lower-body strength despite his size.
Judge added that he’s been witnessing Stanton’s impressive hitting for years and that Stanton consistently poses a significant threat to opposing pitchers.
“I think there’s one guy, and you saw it today,”the Yankees captain told after the game. “He basically did the same thing against the Rangers, got a slider down away in the zone and drove it out for a three-run home run. It’s impressive what he can do for being such a big guy. He uses his legs so well. Those sliders off the plate or sliders down, those are always in his damage zone.”
Judge and Stanton both went deep for the Yankees, marking the 10th time this season they’ve homered in the same contest. This milestone also represents the 41st occasion they’ve achieved this feat together in a regular-season game, placing them fifth in Yankees history among teammate duos. The legendary pairs ahead of them include Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth, Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle, Bob Meusel and Babe Ruth, and Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone highlighted Stanton’s critical role in the lineup, despite his .241 batting average this season. Boone also pointed out the value of Austin Wells’ contributions, noting his effective at-bat that produced a sacrifice fly after Judge was intentionally walked.
Boone praised Stanton’s exceptional power, describing it as “G doing G things.” The Yankees manager emphasized Stanton’s importance in adding depth to the Yankees’ lineup, calling his performance a “big swing” that was crucial to the team’s victory.
“It was Big G today. He’s huge for the length of our lineup. Big swing. He’s huge in the middle,” the Yankees skipper said of Stanton. “G, kind of doing G things where not many people hit the ball like that and are able to ride it out. I thought a lot of good at-bats put us in that position.”
Verdugo ‘got some s–t’ that Yankees needs ‘to fix and address’
Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo is currently navigating a difficult stretch at the plate, a stark contrast to the success his teammates had found earlier. As of Thursday, Verdugo’s struggles have placed him at the bottom of the league in terms of OPS since June 15, with a concerning .510 mark. His slump persisted in the Yankees‘ recent 6-0 victory over the Cleveland Guardians, where he went hitless in four at-bats.
Verdugo’s batting average has plummeted from .266 on June 14 to .227, and over the last 53 games, he has managed just one home run while striking out 41 times. This extended slump is a first in Verdugo’s career, and he has openly acknowledged the challenges he’s facing.
The Yankees outfielder mentioned that he and the coaching staff are working on adjustments to his approach, though he declined to go into detail. Verdugo expressed frustration with missing pitches he would normally handle well and noted that even when he makes solid contact, the results haven’t been in his favor.
“I got some s–t that I understand that we got to fix and address,” he said, “Every time that I do hit the ball hard or make a good swing, it seems to be right at somebody or somebody makes a good play.”
Recent examples of his tough luck include a line drive to left field at 96.4 mph that ended up as an out and a hard-hit ball to left-center at 102.8 mph that was caught. These moments underscore Verdugo’s current difficulties in converting good contact into hits.
Despite the ongoing slump, the Yankees left fielder remains determined to turn things around, emphasizing his commitment to making the necessary adjustments and expressing confidence that he will overcome this challenging period.
As Verdugo’s slump lingers, speculation has emerged about a potential call-up for top prospect Jasson Dominguez. However, Yankees manager Aaron Boone has offered his support for Verdugo, acknowledging the player’s recent challenges but also highlighting some encouraging signs. Boone noted that Verdugo has put together quality at-bats that haven’t translated into hits, such as drawing a critical walk and making hard contact, even if it resulted in outs.
“Clearly going through a little bit of a tough stretch,” the Yankees manager said about Verdugo’s slump. “But it’s on us to make sure we lift him up and get him going. He is an important part to the length of our lineup.”
Verdugo remains optimistic about his situation, acknowledging the apparent severity of his slump but expressing confidence that he is close to breaking out of it. He believes that the adjustments needed to improve his performance are smaller than they might seem, and he is hopeful for a turnaround.
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- Categories: aaron judge, alex verdugo, Giancarlo Stanton
- Tags: aaron judge, alex verdugo, Giancarlo Stanton
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Let’s just see how they have Boone spin tonight’s lineup. They lied about Wells being the starting catcher when Trevino is back. Every single LHP except one he has sat. Plus, DJ is back in the lineup. Why not Cabrera if they don’t want to play Rice? Or why not Cabrera instead of Verdugo in LF?