When the Yankees begin their quest for a 28th World Series title on Thursday, two of the biggest factors in their hopeful title run will be the play of Giancarlo Stanton and Gary Sanchez, two big bats with proven superstar potential if they could avoid injury or prolonged slumps.
Suzyn Waldman joined Moose & Maggie on Wednesday to talk about the upcoming season, and of course the expectations for Sanchez and Stanton came up, with Waldman giving different outlooks for each.
With Stanton, Waldman saw a different hitter that can translate into a version closer to his 2017 self, but of course, the deciding factor will be whether the slugger can stay in the lineup in 2021.
“It’s not the home runs that impress me, just watching him,” Waldman said. “His problem is staying healthy, as we know. So far, so good, but it’s March 31.”
Watching Stanton in spring, Waldman was encouraged despite just one home run. He batted .314 with a .914 OPS, coming off a playoff run where he smashed five home runs and was the Yankees’ most prolific bat.
“I just loved how he looked,” Waldman said. “He was using the whole field, he did it on purpose. I watched him trying to get everything going to right and center and pulling when it went in instead of just waiting for it to come in and be called a third strike. He was turning on those balls. I think he looked great in spring.”
It may take an adjustment to being a full-time DH for a full season, but Waldman sees a player finally settling into his new surroundings in the Bronx, and showed an ability to play at his highest level in the highest stakes in 2020, which should be an encouraging sign for Yankee fans waiting to see Stanton show his former MVP self.
“It started when we started last year,” Waldman said. “He just looked so comfortable in his own skin. It takes a while. This is not an easy place to come to with all the expectations and all the things that happened to him, but I think he found something last year.”
Sanchez didn’t look comfortable at all last season, batting under .200 while seeing backup Kyle Higashioka get playoff playing time due to a brutal slump that stretched back to the second half of the 2019 season. With so many eyes on Sanchez in what is considered to be a pivotal year for his Yankee future, Waldman isn’t keeping her expectations at a minimum, despite Sanchez’s prolific past that had him among the best catchers in all of baseball.
“I don’t have a lot of expectations, and I don’t know what to expect,” Waldman said. “He looked great the first week of spring training and the last week he did not look great. I don’t take a lot out of spring training…I keep hearing over and over how Gary has learned a lot, well, let’s see it.”
Some may be looking to see the old Sanchez right out of the gate, which may be an unfair expectation in a long season. On the other side, some may cling to any flash of vintage Sanchez and declare it as sustainable for a full season. For those on both sides, Waldman urges patience.
“I know he hit those home runs early, but that’s what he did last year,” Waldman said. “He’d hit a home run and everyone said ‘Well, he’s back.’ It’s not because he doesn’t try and it’s not because he doesn’t work hard and it’s not because he’s lazy. But I would like to see it. Let’s have another discussion in June.”
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