The Importance Of Juan Soto and Giancarlo Stanton on the Yankees Road To #28
The New York Yankees are one step closer to championship 28 after defeating the Cleveland Guardians to win the AL pennant. After 15 long years of a rebuild and eliminations throughout their recent postseason history, the Yankees feel like this may be the year to go all the way. The Bronx Bombers finally built a roster worthy of a World Series run, and its two most important players thus far are Juan Soto and Giancarlo Stanton.
Juan Soto Was The Yankees' Missing Piece
Juan Soto was acquired during the 2023 offseason in response to the New York Yankees' lackluster and forgettable performance throughout the 2023 season. The team finished the regular season with a record of 82-80, marking their first absence from postseason contention since 2016. The season was filled with injuries and a roster that was not constructed for October baseball. Taking note of this, the Yankees front office made a significant move in the offseason by bringing in Juan Soto.
Entering the 2024 season, Soto came in with a slash line of .275/.419/.519 with 35 home runs hit in 2023. He quickly established himself as one of the most effective hitters in the Yankees lineup, second only to Aaron Judge. The synergy between Soto and Judge has caused comparisons to legendary Yankees duos, such as Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, as well as Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.
Judge and Soto combined for a remarkable total of 99 home runs—Judge contributing 58 and Soto 41—while having over 120 runs each during the regular season. With Judge in the lineup, Soto improved his performance, elevating his slash line to .288/.419/.569 for the 2024 season.
Postseason Soto
Soto is renowned for his postseason performances, often expressing to the media that he thrives in high-pressure moments. He is no stranger to October baseball, having won his first World Series championship at just 21 years old with the Washington Nationals in 2019. Soto recorded five home runs and a slash line of .277/.373/.554.
His skillset played a pivotal role in the Nationals' championship run. Although Soto had a respectable slash line of .239/.314/.413 with two home runs during the 2022 season with the San Diego Padres, it wasn’t enough to get the Padres all the way to the end.
With New York being one of the biggest media markets for baseball, the spotlight was all on Juan Soto. Soto wasn’t scared of the Yankees' postseason bright lights and delivered gracefully.
So far in the 2024 postseason, Soto has played nine games and holds a slash line of .333/.439/.667, including two home runs. Being known for his plate discipline, Soto’s patience helps him win games for his team. That advantageous skillset helped bring the Yankees to their 41st World Series appearance after Soto hit a massive home run in the 10th inning of Game 5 as a result of his plate discipline.
Soto’s contributions to the New York Yankees this postseason have been some of the most historic in Yankees history, and the Yankees can expect nothing less out of Soto every time he steps up to the plate.
Giancarlo Stanton Has Been Through It All
Expected to be the power slugger behind Aaron Judge when he was acquired, Giancarlo Stanton's career in New York has been less than what the Yankees' faithful expected. Stanton was coming off an MVP season with 59 home runs, 132 RBIs, and averages of .281/.376/.631.
Stanton's first year with the Yankees in 2018 had him posting a slash line of .266/.343/.509 with 38 home runs and 100 RBIs. Not a bad start to his first year in pinstripes, but was plagued with injuries in 2019 and missed a majority of the season. The 2020 COVID season saw similar results in Stanton with another injury-plagued season outside of hitting a grand slam in the postseason against the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS.
Stanton returned to form in 2021 with a slash line of .273/.354/.516 with 35 home runs and 97 RBIs after playing 139 games. 2022 saw a slight dip in performance for Stanton, but it did not prevent him from making the All-Star team and winning the All-Star MVP that year.
Stanton slumped in the second half of the 2022 regular season with a slash line of .151/.246/.336. His horrid slash line was mainly marred by more injuries. Despite hitting two home runs in the postseason, Stanton's averages were less than what was desired with .188/.229/.438.
Stanton's 2023 season averages were the worst of his career: .191/.275/.420 with 27 home runs and 60 RBIs in 101 games played. It was time for a change for Stanton as he changed his hitting mechanics and physical appearance, slimming down to have more of a “baseball body" and prevent injuries.
Some were worried that this change in his body would cause Stanton to have less power at the plate, but he proved otherwise. The power hitter had an increased batting average from batting .191 in 2023 to .233 in 2024.
Stanton’s presence at the plate was missing throughout the summer after unfortunately suffering a left hamstring injury. Slimming down did not prevent injury, but Stanton's return played a bigger role in October.
Giancarlo Stanton is New York’s New Mr. October
Stanton’s 16 home runs in his postseason run surpasses Babe Ruth and Aaron Judge for most home runs throughout their postseason careers. This puts Stanton in a legendary category filled with Yankee greats. Stanton’s bat has proven to be an intimidation factor throughout this postseason.
Posting a slash line of /.294/.385/.794 with an OPS of 1.179 has made Stanton one of the most important pieces in this postseason run. Five of Stanton's six hits in this postseason have resulted in home runs. Stanton’s bat and presence have looked phenomenal and will be a key player in the Yankees' quest to number 28.
Stanton has been completely locked in this postseason, both inside and outside of the field, wanting to win it all this year. During post-game interviews, Stanton keeps the mentality of staying focused on the main goal.
“It feels like nothing until we get it done,” said Stanton after going up 3-1 in the ALCS.
Even after winning the ALCS MVP trophy, Stanton stated, “It ain’t the trophy I want. I want the next one,” referencing the World Series trophy.
With the Yankees closing in on their 28th championship, they’re going to need every player to contribute as well as they can. Having both Juan Soto and Giancarlo Stanton’s contributions in this postseason has tremendously lifted this team up to new heights. Only time will tell if the Bronx Bombers can keep up their momentum and bring the championship back to New York.
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