Boone on Stanton: 'I think he looks great'

February 19th, 2020

TAMPA, Fla. -- The impressive power that has repeatedly dented the George M. Steinbrenner Field scoreboard during each of the last two springs is on display again for , who said on Wednesday that he expects to have no physical limitations entering the 2020 season.

“I had a full offseason. I did everything I needed to do,” Stanton said. “I had a lot of different training. I didn't have much time off. I got my rest, but I had to rehab the moment the season was over, and then by the time I was done rehabbing I had my normal offseason training.”

Stanton was limited to 18 regular-season games in 2019, plus five more in the postseason, due to a mystifying blend of biceps, shoulder, calf and knee injuries -- the last of which was a Grade 2 right quadriceps strain sustained while running out a grounder in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series.

After watching Stanton mash to all fields during Tuesday’s first full-squad workout, Yankees manager Aaron Boone gushed about what he believes will be a big season ahead for the 2017 National League Most Valuable Player Award winner.

“I think he looks great,” Boone said. “I thought he had a really nice first day. He looks like he is in a good spot physically as we build him up here. I am looking forward to seeing what Giancarlo is going to do.”

Saying that the 2019 season was “no question” the most frustrating of his career, Stanton allowed himself two days off after the ALCS, then rehabbed his knee and quadriceps four to five times a week. The 30-year-old applauded the Yankees’ hiring of Eric Cressey as their new director of player health and performance, following a season in which 30 Yankees players served 39 stints on the injured list.

"I think it's a great addition, bringing him in,” Stanton said. “The staff has been great so far; good little change. Last year was a fluke for everybody, I feel, but I think they've got a gauge and trying to push us in the right direction to get some of whatever wasn't working last year fixed."

Boone said that he anticipates Stanton’s time in the outfield will be “fluid,” and Stanton said that it could be similar to his 2018 workload, when he played 72 games in the outfield (37 in right field, 36 in left field) and was the designated hitter in 86 games.

“Whatever works best for the team,” Stanton said. “You can't really pick your days now. It's kind of like we did my first season here. It's just like, ‘Here's a plan for the next three days, what do you think? How can we make it better?’”

Asked for his take on the Astros sign-stealing controversy, Stanton said that he believes the Houston players “did a very poor job” of explaining themselves and believes that the 2017 World Series championship should have been vacated because of the unfair advantage the Astros had.

“If I knew what was coming in ’17, I probably would have hit 80-plus home runs,” said Stanton, who led the Majors with 59 homers that season.