Giancarlo Stanton’s acquisition by the New York Yankees was largely viewed by everyone, including me, as confusing. The Yankees did not need to get Giancarlo Stanton after the 2017 season. But, you know what? The Yankees are a better team with Giancarlo in the lineup.
Stanton Represents Power and Consistency Ellsbury Never Had
Excluding Ellsbury’s injuries, which I’ve documented, Ellsbury was never that great of an offensive presence, even in Boston. He averaged 14 home runs per season, with 67 RBI’s, and a .284/.342/.417 slash line. Stanton’s career batting average is lower, but his OBP, slugging and OPS are higher than Ellsbury (which isn’t great for when we’re talking about a career leadoff hitter in Ellsbury).