The New York Yankees will have a tricky situation on their hands once Giancarlo Stanton returns. The 35-year-old hopes to join the team by the end of the month but even once he is healthy, there is no obvious spot for him in the lineup.
Aside from a likely demotion for either Pablo Reyes or Oswald Peraza, it will create a strain on Ben Rice’s breakout campaign. The 26-year-old is a trained catcher who has become a first baseman/designated hitter and is dominating at the plate in his first full season in pinstripes.
Rice is batting a fine .260, but has a .937 OPS, a 163 OPS+, and nine home runs through his first 123 at-bats. His advanced metrics are outstanding, highlighted by heavy barrel percentages and hard-hit balls. As long as Rice can cut down on the whiffs, he will all but guarantee everyday opportunities.
However, this is still Giancarlo Stanton we’re talking about, a 429-career home run hitter and one of the most dangerous bats in baseball when healthy.
A Potential Platoon Solution
Here is what Randy Miller of NJ.com had to say on the Stanton issue:
“When Giancarlo Stanton comes back from missing all season with two tennis elbows, and his latest progress was taking BP on the field last week, then Peraza could lose his roster spot in addition to Boone having tougher daily lineup decisions.
How will the Yankees divvy up the DH at-bats between Ben Rice and Stanton?
Rice definitely deserves to play against righties, but would Boone dare turn Stanton into a platoon DH? One thing that’s ruled out for this year (and maybe forever) is Stanton playing outfield.”
The Stanton outfield discussion can be laid to rest. He was a full-time DH over 109 games in 2024 for good reason. As an older player with an extensive injury history, he does not have the mobility or tracking skills to navigate even the relatively easy confines of right field in Yankee Stadium.
Stanton still had a fine arm in 2023, but his 31 games in right were an adventure and not the type of athletic, defensive mentality New York has shifted toward this season. Look at Cody Bellinger. Despite slumping at the plate, he is still a versatile, rangy defender who can contribute on the bags, too.
This was a shift induced by losing out on Juan Soto, but one that could propel this team over the hump.
Forecasting Possible Lineups
The real problem with Stanton comes in October. Of course, this is far too early to forecast postseason rosters, but even with his many deficiencies, he has to be in the lineup during crunch time.
Stanton was the catalyst behind the Yankees’ 2024 American League pennant-winning run, hitting .273 with a 1.048 OPS and seven home runs. Stanton is also going to need to carry the load, considering Aaron Judge’s unreliability in October.
The perfect fix for New York would be turning Ben Rice into a third baseman. This would solve the already gaping hole at the five and provide Stanton with consistent DH reps.
But, considering Rice has already had to learn a new position at first, this feels like a fantasy rather than a reality.
Stanton’s health is a great problem for manager Aaron Boone, but one that he will need to navigate with particular caution.
Yankees Predicted to Make Giancarlo Stanton Decision in Immediate Future