We recently put out a call in The Feed to take the temperature of Yankees fans on Giancarlo Stanton’s outlook for the remainder of 2026. The story of Stanton’s season is unfortunately the same as it ever was, at least since 2019.
Following a 158-game debut in pinstripes, the former NL MVP had several issues that limited to 18 games and a limited postseason role that year. Every season from that point onward has seen some kind of injury wreak havoc on Stanton. He was held to 23 games in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, and though only a quad strain held him back in a 139-game 2021, he has failed to exceed 115 in the years that followed. He’s now an exclusive DH, and even his jogging run on the basepaths has led to lower-body injuries like his most recent calf strain.
It’s a conundrum for the Yankees because when healthy, Stanton remains one of the most initimidating hitters in baseball. In fact, just last year, he posted his best season by OPS+ (156) since winning MVP with the Marlins in 2017. And of course, in 2024, his sterling postseason reputation shined brighter than ever, slamming seven homers and four in the ALCS to win MVP honors during the five-game win over Cleveland. Stanton has a .926 OPS and 18 career playoff homers in just 48 games — no small feat since he’s tied with Yankees legends Mickey Mantle and Reggie Jackson on the all-time postseason list in that category and they did so in far more appearances (65 for The Mick and 77 for Mr. October).
The problem is that dreaded qualifier from the first sentence of that paragraph: “when healthy.” The Yankees just can’t count on that, and they know it. GM Brian Cashman said as much after 2023, and they’ve constantly built their roster knowing that DH time will be open at one point or another for the likes of Aaron Judge, Paul Goldschmidt, Ben Rice, and Jasson Domínguez. For Domínguez in particular, the Yanks have been loathe to give up on the 23-year-old despite limited openings in the outfield for this very reason. For a win-now team like the Yanks, unless a trade offer bowls them over, he’s likely more valuable to them as fourth outfielder/DH depth than as a trade chip, given Stanton’s ailments.
Right now, Stanton’s again stuck in IL limbo. He was on the verge of activation the weekend before last, but suffered a setback with his calf. So it’s hard to say when exactly we might see Stanton again in 2026.
That brings us back to the original prompt. When do you think we’ll see Stanton in 2026? Here’s where the survey stands:
Most fans expect Stanton to return, but not until much later in the second half. The plurality forecast a September return when rosters expand to 28 and there’s a little more flexibility for a DH-only player. The possibility of a healthy Stanton in October has to be tantalizing and is on the Yankees’ radar.
It’s certainly something that a couple commenters considered, like JRbasebal and NeverPlayed:
If Stanton’s body at least allows him to take healthy cuts in a September warm-up, then Yankees brass can make a decision about whether or not they think he can be ready for the postseason.
An example I always think of with this situation is 1999 Darryl Strawberry, who due to his own more serious personal demons was off the field until September. But there was a DH opening and he hit .327/.500/.612 during that last month, earning a spot on the playoff roster. Skipper Joe Torre picked his spots with Straw and he went 5-for-15 with three walks and two homers as the Yanks romped to another championship, with just one loss that October. The other side of the equation is 2022 DJ LeMahieu, who was terrific in the first half but suffered a broken toe in early August that led to a nagging foot injury. Although it was a smaller sample than ’99 Strawberry, the Yankees did give LeMahieu a look at the end of the regular season, but they ultimately decided that they weren’t comfortable enough with how he looked to roster him. Stanton could find himself in a similar test later in 2026.
Plenty of respondents were understandably skeptical of Stanton’s ability to recover at this point. After all, he said that initially felt something in his calf while jogging from first to second on a walk — not even a play in the field. The setback reportedly came on the bases in workouts as well. If these seemingly simple acts are taxing him (even acknowledging that it involves ripple effects from practice too), it’s hard to be confident about both his short- and long-term future.
Pan1953 and The Boss both mused on this conundrum, albeit while reaching different conclusions:
Whether he returns and mashes in October again or has to figure out a DFA scenario in the offseason as suggested by The idiot that said, “Harper is coming,” it’s going to be a tricky situation. Stanton is beloved in the Yankees clubhouse, though LeMahieu absolutely was as well when the Yanks cut ties with him last July. I doubt that any such machinations would happen until the offseason at the earliest, given that it doesn’t seem like Stanton will be in play to even get in the lineup again until deep into 2026. And LeMahieu just wasn’t doing much at all as his career came to a close with a 67 OPS+ across his final two campaigns.
Stanton may be in IL limbo, but as JRbasebal said in a reply later in the thread, the Yankees are on the hook for his contract regardless (I don’t think any kind of trade is plausible). Right now, they have the flexibility to see how his rehab goes and to check in on how his bat looks if he can get back into playing shape. If the bat plays, then he plays in some way, shape, or form. If not, then that will be a discussion we can have another day.
Read the full article here