Giancarlo Stanton has been a divisive figure among the Yankee fanbase since arriving prior to the 2018 season, with many seemingly intolerant of even the most minor of slumps.
The start of this season was no exception. Coming off a strong spring training following a historic postseason where he crushed six home runs in seven games, Stanton struggled in the opening series of 2021, going 0-for-8 with three strikeouts while the Yanks lost the series to Toronto. When Stanton wasn’t in the lineup for game two of that series, fans were overwhelmingly critical, but were quick to shower the slugger with boos after every out when he was in the game.
Stanton broke out in a big way on Monday night, breaking the game open with a grand slam against the Orioles in a 7-0 win for the Bombers. Although Stanton doesn’t consider it breaking out when he feels he wasn’t slumping in the first place, especially not after just two games.
“You guys like to make a big deal out of nine at-bats,” Stanton said after Monday’s victory. “So throw that into two months I don’t think anyone’s even yawning about it.”
Nine at-bats is obviously a miniscule percentage over the course of a full season that can include around 600 at-bats, but when it comes to Stanton, everything is put under a microscope. Maybe it’s due to his $325 million contract, or his MVP season that preceded his trade to New York, and many expect identical production to that 59-homer season. Whatever the case, many fans within Yankees Universe don’t tolerate anything but a 450-foot home run from Stanton every time he steps to the plate, but Stanton doesn’t pay any mind to the frequent jeers that come his way.
“I try my best when I’m out there,” Stanton said. “So I can’t worry about all of that.”
Fans certainly weren’t booing when Stanton blasted that 471-foot grand slam on Monday, nor were they angry when he went on a playoff tear that included five home runs in four games just last year. Those four games were a small sample size, as were his first two games to open this season, so he won’t put too much stock in either, even if the fans do.
“You can’t just laser focus in on the first couple games just because it’s the beginning of the season,” Stanton said. “That’s baseball, that’s how it goes.”
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