Giancarlo Stanton was the hero for the Yankees on Tuesday night, sealing a fourth straight win with his 400th career home run, a milestone that was fitting for Stanton, as it was a laser home run that left the yard in a flash.
For C-Mac, Stanton’s milestone was an opportunity to reflect on his Yankee tenure, which he believes has been underappreciated by many.
“I am terrified of what he will be the next few years, the contract is a killer with the amount of money he makes, but it’s overblown that he’s the reason Harper or Machado aren’t here. His contract alone is not the reason,” C-Mac said. “He’s eaten up the DH, he can barely run, that’s all fair. But I’ll still say, and I don’t care who disagrees: Giancarlo Stanton is a little bit of an underrated Yankee. Now, he’s had a miserable season, but he’s still gonna hit 26 home runs, in a year where he missed two months. He’s hit 30 home runs with 100 RBI in multiple seasons.
“It’s funny, Yankee fans are fickle when it comes to certain things…with Stanton, it’s somehow unfair to bring up that he’s been their best postseason hitter. It doesn’t make the move overall good, but he’s been their best hitter in the postseason, and he’s handled it with such grace and handled the booing and everything that comes with being a Yankee and having down seasons as a Yankee better than anyone who has ever done it.”
C-Mac is quick to acknowledge that Stanton has never been what many hoped he would be after an MVP season with the Marlins, and injuries have derailed the Yankees’ lineup flexibility because of his inability to consistently play the outfield, but overall, Stanton has been a steady presence in the locker room, has largely thrived in October, and has never clashed with a fanbase that has largely resented him since his arrival.
“From his first day here going 0-for-5 with five strikeouts and getting booed, he’s been treated unfairly,” C-Mac said. “He’s been a pretty good Yankee. Overall, would you take the move back? Probably…but he’s been a good Yankee, and he’s done it with class and grace.”
