Stanton, before Yankees spring training: “It’s going to be fun”
In what was described as a stunning deal, Miami star Giancarlo Stanton was traded to the New York Yankees and the baseball world could not talk of something else for days. He is the second player moved after finishing the season with 50 home runs. Greg Vaughn preceded him. With the spring training ahead, the player seems highly motivated to debut with the glorious club.
Giancarlo Stanton had never reached a spring training without knowing his teammates and with the level of expectations that has always existed for the New York Yankees. And the first thing made clear by the Most Valuable Player of the National League 2017 is that he is excited to be part of the winning mentality that identifies the New York franchise, winner of 27 World Series rings. Not bad, huh? "It's something big, I've never experienced that at this level and this is the level I've worked for all my life, so I'm really excited about it," Stanton said in front of his new locker with the number 27, which it was ceded to him by its former owner, catcher Austin Romine, said ESPN.
"It's something completely new to me, I know some of the players, maybe from an All-Star Game or something, but I really do not know anyone well, but it's going to be a lot of fun, getting to know each other is going to be great." After being acquired from the Miami Marlins in what’s considered the biggest trade of the offseason, Stanton showed up at his new spring training venue in Tampa on Friday afternoon, two days before the official report day for the Yankees position players.
According to the report, Stanton arrived early at the spring training facility of the Yankees to start his adaptation to a new team after being part of a single organization for a decade. "(I arrived) early because this is going to require a lot (effort), just to prepare myself, I'm from the West Coast, so I also have to adapt to the time change", Stanton explained. "It's a matter of getting used to a new place. With all that comes greater expectations, a bigger market, everything that goes with that, being a bit out of what I'm used to. I did the same for 10 years in a row, the same spring training, the same organization, etc. So this is new for me and it will be something new and fun", he added enthusiastically.
Stanton recognized that this will be a new learning experience for him in which he will have new teammates, but also new opponents. “Getting used to a new park, a new city, it's going to be fun." As for the expectations in regard to the combination in the lineup with Aaron Judge, Stanton reiterated that a team should not be seen as dependent on only two players, although he admitted that he himself is thrilled to discover his offensive potential.
Stanton posted a .281 batting average and hit 59 homers and towed 132 runs in his MVP campaign last year, where he featured a stellar OPS of 1,007. Judge was named American League Rookie of the Year after finishing last season with a .284 average and recording a historic record of 52 homers, in addition to adding 114 RBIs and OPS of 1,049. Stanton may play the humble card but fans and specialists are more than thrilled to watch this due undo the ball in different MLB scenarios. Aren’t you?
