The Yankees may be inching toward a postseason call on Giancarlo Stanton, but the cleaner baseball move might be to keep him on the bench when the game starts.
That’s the tension facing Aaron Boone right now: Stanton is clearly back in the conversation, yet the Yankees also have two bats in Ben Rice and Luis Garcia Jr. who have earned real trust during the regular season. If Stanton is activated, somebody loses playing time, and the most likely names are Rice and Garcia.
Jack Curry said on the YES broadcast this week, according to NJ.com’s Adam Zagoria, “I think Stanton is very much in play [for this series].”
The signs have been building. On Monday afternoon, Stanton, Aaron Judge, and Trent Grisham were all taking swings against Elmer Rodriguez and Kyle Carr, which only added fuel to the idea that Stanton could be nearing a return.
If he does come back, the Yankees have a lineup decision that goes beyond reputation. Stanton owns 456 career home runs and 18 postseason homers, but Rice and Garcia have combined for 71 long balls in 2026, and both have been productive enough to deserve serious consideration.
If Boone uses Paul Goldschmidt at first base, then one of those two bats has to sit. The better answer, at least from this view, is that neither should.
That’s especially true with Payton Tolle in the picture. Lefties have done damage to him, which makes the case for Rice and Garcia stronger, not weaker. Stanton’s history as a big October bat is real, but it doesn’t automatically outweigh what the Yankees need right now.
Garcia also gives the Yankees some flexibility. He handled second base well this season, posting 3 Outs Above Average and 2 Defensive Runs Saved, so he could take first base without creating a defensive issue. That would let Rice stay in the lineup as the DH.
Boone, though, isn’t rushing anything. He said Monday that the Yankees are still waiting on Stanton’s status.
“I want to see another day here [from Stanton],” Boone said, according to the New York Post’s Mark W. Sanchez.
“Again, I don't know if there's one definitive [moment] like, 'Ooh, there he is, he's on.' It's more just letting the day unfold, seeing where we're at, and making a final call one way or the other.”
For now, the logic points to Rice and Garcia starting, with Goldschmidt and Stanton reserved for later in the game. The Yankees need offense, and the best way to get it may be to keep the veterans ready for a pinch-hit spot rather than forcing them into the lineup from the jump.
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