New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton has received a major prediction for the MLB playoffs.
New York Yankees star Giancarlo Stanton has not played since late April due to a calf strain that has resulted in multiple setbacks. But he could be back for the playoffs.
It's looking more and more like Stanton will be on the Yankees' Wild Card roster for their series against the Boston Red Sox, which begins on Tuesday night, and even though he hasn't seen live-game action in over five months, he could have a major impact.
While Stanton almost certainly wouldn't start, he could serve as a tremendous bat off the bench, especially against the Red Sox's left-handed-heavy pitching staff.
In fact, Jack Curry of YES Network actually feels that Stanton could end up being a major X-factor in this postseason tussle.
“His postseason pedigree is a big part of his resume, and while he has missed a ton of time, we had seen him recently take some live BPs," Curry said. "He faced Ryan Weathers recently, so not only do I think Stanton is going to be on the roster, I think Stanton is somebody that could have a big swing in this series.”
We know Stanton is one of the best playoff hitters ever. He has racked up 18 career postseason home runs, almost all of which have come at critical points of games.
Not only that, but he posted a .944 OPS last season, showing that he obviously still has plenty left in the tank.
The question, of course, will be whether or not Stanton will have his timing down when it comes to facing live pitching.
It's one thing to have batting practice against a teammate; it's another thing to be thrown into action against a playoff opponent after having not played since April 24.
Of course, it's not like Stanton would be playing in place of someone like Ben Rice. He would merely be taking the spot of perhaps Amed Rosario, who has been someone the Yankees have used against southpaws throughout the year, even though Rosario's numbers against lefties in 2026 are far from impressive.
New York will be without Aaron Judge in this series, so it would also help to simply have another power bat on the roster. And we all know that Stanton can change a game with one swing, as Curry noted.
And while there is only so much a home crowd can impact a game, you have to imagine that Yankee Stadium would erupt the moment it sees Stanton emerge from the dugout and into the on-deck circle for a late-game at-bat.
We'll see if Stanton ultimately does make the Yankees' Wild Card roster and whether or not he can have a big impact on the series.
New York will face Boston in Game 1 on at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
