One of the reasons behind the New York Yankees’ struggles in 2023 was their abysmal offense.
The unit was already mediocre with Aaron Judge healthy – he was carrying the team – so when he tore toe ligaments and was forced to miss nearly two months, it completely collapsed.
The 2023 Yankees were full of aging, unathletic, unproductive, and injury-prone players on offense.
Giancarlo Stanton fits that description, as he had his worst season as a major leaguer at 34 years old.
He hit .191 with a .695 OPS, all career-worst rates, and struck out 124 times in 101 games.
He did hit 24 home runs, but they came at a cost.
The fact he is getting up there in age doesn’t mean he can’t be a productive player or hitter.
It’s a matter of having better luck with injuries and making some changes in the way he prepares.
The work ethic has always been there, though.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone expressed full confidence on a rebound season by Stanton in 2024, via MLB Network.
“Giancarlo [Stanton] is going to have a good year.”@Yankees skipper Aaron Boone joins #HighHeat to share some thoughts about the 2024 season.@MadDogUnleashed | #WinterMeetings pic.twitter.com/TuGHQ7ctsB
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 5, 2023
“Giancarlo is going to have a good year. He is in the middle of having a really great winter. He has taken a hard look at some things and making sure to make little adjustments on the way he trains and how he prepares. I am confident in the person, his focus, his pride, that he is going to come in ready to roll in tremendous shape,” Boone stated.
Boone also discussed potential plans to have Stanton in a position to contribute more in the outfield, although the team probably isn’t clear on that point.
If he can avoid lower-body injuries that have plagued him for years and play something close to 140 games, there is a chance he bounces back next year.
He is too talented to post consecutive sub-.700 OPS seasons.
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