Ask Aaron Boone what has gotten into Giancarlo Stanton lately, and the Yankees manager will tell you that the 35-year-old has “mastered” the mental side of baseball.
Such was the case on Tuesday before the Yankees hosted the Nationals.
“He knows how to get himself ready,” Boone explained. “He knows how to prepare for a pitcher. He knows how to play the game within the game, that cat and mouse thing with the pitcher, really good.”
Boone delivered those comments hours before Stanton powered the Yankees’ 5-1 win over the Nationals, as he first emptied loaded bases with a 101.6-mph double off MacKenzie Gore in the third inning. A 112.7-mph, two-run homer off Orlando Ribalta followed in the sixth, giving Stanton a season-high five RBI.
That earned more praise from Boone postgame.
“I just think there’s an obsession with winning,” the skipper said, “and nothing’s going to get in his way from doing everything possible to make sure he puts himself in a good spot.”
Stanton’s explosive evening continued what has been a sensational surge, as he is batting .313 with a 1.051 OPS, a 187 wRC+, 17 home runs and 46 RBI over 51 games as he hits flyballs at a career-high clip. All of his home runs have come over his last 39 games, a period that has also seen him regularly return to the outfield because a flexor strain has limited Aaron Judge to DH duties.
“It’s been fun being able to contribute on both sides,” Stanton said. “I’m just making sure I’m mentally prepared for all scenarios when the ball is hit towards me.”
Stanton has his own lingering tennis elbow injuries to worry about, as the joints require consistent maintenance after forcing the slugger to miss the first two months of the season. On Tuesday, he said that he’s thought about making up for lost time, though he has to balance those thoughts with not trying to do too much.
“That means the most to me,” Stanton said of making an impact, adding that this feels like his best offensive stretch as a Yankee. “You never want to miss time. Sitting back, watching, just understanding that I could be there contributing, it’s important that I’m able to do this now.”
It’s incredible that Stanton has been able to hit the way he has, as his elbows still cause him pain. You wouldn’t know it from watching his violent swing or looking at his stats, though.
“He hits the ball harder than anyone I’ve ever seen,” Cody Bellinger said, “so it’s really fun to watch, and it’s really impressive.”
“This, I feel like — and it’s saying a lot — may be as good as I’ve seen him,” Boone added of the 2017 National League MVP.
With Stanton fueling the offense, Luis Gil gave the Yankees five innings of one-run ball.
The righty, only five starts into his season after suffering a lat injury in spring training, limited damage, but he had a hard time with his command for the third straight game. Gil walked four batters while also totaling five hits, five strikeouts and 92 pitches before turning things over to the bullpen.
Gil also had one concerning mound visit, as Boone and a trainer checked on the flame-thrower in the fourth after he walked two batters and struggled with his velocity. Gil threw just two fastballs above 93 mph in the inning, but he stayed in the game and had no problem cracking 96 mph the following inning.
Asked about the mound visit, Boone said that Gil simply “backed off” his velocity in an effort to find the strike zone. Gil, meanwhile, said that he likes where’s at physically, a good sign for a Yankees team that didn’t acquire a starter before the trade deadline.
“With every outing, I’m feeling stronger and more confident out there,” the pitcher said. “There’s work to be done, but I feel like I’m on the right track, and there’s no doubt in my mind I’ll get back to that 100% level that I was before.”
The fifth frame also saw Bellinger gun down James Wood at the plate, preventing a run on Gil’s line after the left fielder wasn’t nearly as aggressive on a similar play in the third inning. That lack of urgency — and a double-clutch from Amed Rosario after cutting the throw off — allowed Robert Hassell III to score the Nationals’ only run of the game after blowing through a stop sign.
“I was glad I got a second chance,” Bellinger said, noting that the stop sign on the first throw led him to hit the cut-off man instead of throwing home. “Ultimately, no matter what, you just gotta come up firing. So I came up a little soft, and that’s what I was chatting with Boonie about.”
With Tuesday’s victory, the third-place Yankees have now won four of their last five series, though all of those series wins have come against sub-.500 teams. The only series loss in that stretch came against the second-place Red Sox, who took 3-of-4 from the Yankees at the end of last week.
With Boston also winning on Tuesday, the Yankees remain a half-game behind the Sox, who hold the American League’s top Wild Card spot.
The Yankees are also 4.5 games back of the Blue Jays in the AL East.
Originally Published: August 26, 2025 at 10:09 PM EDT