Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton breaches the Great Wall of Baltimore
Table of Contents
Follow UsGiancarlo Stanton is the hardest hitter currently on the Yankees roster, and the speed of his home runs makes them look a little different than those of other players. His big bat did it again on Saturday night. Giancarlo Stanton hit a pitch 436 feet into the stands in left field in Baltimore.
Giancarlo Stanton’s home run capped a three-run fifth inning for New York, and the Yankees routed the Orioles 4-1 on Saturday night.
The exit speed was 116.3 mph. This was Giancarlo Stanton’s 26th home run with a speed of at least 116 mph since Statcast started keeping track in 2015. Aaron Judge is the only other player on the team with more than six, with 15.
“The Great Wall of Baltimore tried to hold him in,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone told. “But it doesn’t hold Big G. That thing just kept taking off on a clothesline, just hung right on up there.”
Giancarlo Stanton is just amazing
Giancarlo Stanton has done a lot of amazing things in his career. His home count stands at 381. He has won the MVP award and been All-Star five times. However, the most impressive thing he may have done is become so used to hitting such explosive blasts.
Giancarlo Stanton is the only player who consistently hits the ball harder than anyone else. Sarah Langs, a veteran sports commentator, did some math and found that Stanton has hit 125 balls at 116 mph or faster since Statcast started keeping track of the data in 2015. Aaron Judge is next on the list, with only 39 such plays.
“It’s definitely impressive to see line drives of like 18 degrees go out for homers,” teammate Aaron Hicks said. “It’s fun to watch.”
Giancarlo Stanton has hit the ball harder before. Twitter takes notice every time he hits one of these shots.
Volpe, LeMahieu, Hicks too contributed
Giancarlo Stanton Stanton’s home run, which went over the deepest part of Baltimore’s big wall in left field, is what people will remember most about this game.
Anthony Volpe got his first extra-base hit in the big leagues with a triple. The rookie shortstop for New York, Volpe, hit a triple to start the game and scored when DJ LeMahieu hit a double. Judge hit a sacrifice fly to make the score 3-1 after a wild pitch. After Irvin got one out, pitcher Austin Voth came in and gave up Giancarlo Stanton’s third home run of the year right away.
Gleyber Torres went 2-for-3, raising his average to.417 for the season. But his 12-pitch walk in the fourth inning was arguably his best at-bat of the night. Torres kept fouling off pitches before working the count all the way through and walking. He has nine walks this season; he didn’t get his ninth walk last season until June 4. He has been completely locked in at the plate.
A slumping Aaron Hicks hit a key RBI single for the Yankees. Hicks hadn’t played since Tuesday. Before his two-out single in the fourth inning, which tied the game, he was 0 for 8. New York took the lead for good in the next inning.
Hicks had only played in three of the first seven games for New York, so his hit was a big deal. Judge, Stanton, Oswaldo Cabrera, Franchy Cordero, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa are all outfielders for the Yankees. Willie Calhoun was also called up before the game on Saturday.
“I’m sure he’s not happy necessarily about the situation, but doesn’t stop you from being a pro,” Boone said. “He’s worked hard and he’s been ready. Got to take advantage of those opportunities, and he was a spark for us tonight.”
Aaron Hicks was benched on Friday. Hicks got his first hit of the season in the fourth inning, a single through the right side of the infield that gave the New York Yankees a 1-0 lead.
“I thought he had good at-bats and obviously a big hit,” Boone said. “I’m sure he’s not happy, necessarily, with the situation but it doesn’t stop you from being a pro. The reality is he’s worked hard and has been ready. You have to take advantage of those opportunities and he was a spark for us.”
The bullpen adds to the win
After putting Jonathan Loaisiga on the 15-day disabled list with right elbow discomfort earlier in the day, the Yankees got an encouraging boost from the bullpen.
Michael King pitched his first scoreless inning of the season, striking out three Orioles over two innings. Although his velocity remained lower than his 2023 season average, King and Boone stated it was comparable to this time last year.
“I wouldn’t call it down because it wasn’t down from last April,” said King, who was also happy with some mechanical tweaks he made. “That’s more what I’m going on.”
After then, Baltimore’s offense was held in check by Wandy Peralta and Clay Holmes, enabling the Yankees to tie the series entering Sunday’s showdown. Holmes worked around a walk in the ninth for his second save.
Injury updates
Boone provided a bevy of injury updates before the game.
- Jonathan Loaisiga was put on the injured list for 15 days due to right elbow irritation. Boone said that he would not throw for two weeks. “We hope this isn’t a long-term problem; we don’t believe it is, but it’s upsetting, particularly given how vital he is to our team,” Boone said. His elbow is structurally OK, but there is some edema in the ligament, according to Boone.
- Harrison Bader has continued to run, bat, and throw while recuperating from an oblique issue. Boone indicated Bader might participate in some rehab games in the next seven to ten days.
- Tommy Kahnle was put on the IL for 60 days due to bicep tendinitis. Boone said that there was no setback in Kahnle’s recuperation, and it seemed that the move was made to establish a 40-man roster slot in the meantime. If everything goes well, he will play rehab games in mid-May, according to Boone.
- On Saturday at Yankee Stadium, Josh Donaldson ran, batted, and threw. It’s thought he’ll simply miss 10 days until his comeback.
- According to Boone, Lou Trivino threw a good bullpen on Saturday. There is still no word on when he could return.
- Triple-A infielder Scranton’s Oswald Peraza has missed the last four games due to a right hamstring strain. With Donaldson out, the Yankees summoned up Scranton’s Willie Calhoun. Boone would not comment on whether Peraza would have been brought up instead if he had been healthy.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
