Unfortunately, Stanton has so rarely been healthy in the past two seasons, that after a two-year stretch in which he was at his most durable. Recall that from the time he debuted in the majors with the Marlins (June 8, 2010) through the end of the ’16 season, he topped 123 games only in ’11 (15) and ’14 (145), the latter despite suffering multiple facial fractures when he was hit by a Mike Fiers pitch. Knee, quad, and hamstring injuries have otherwise taken a significant bite out of his playing time; from 2011-16, he averaged just 121 games per year, which means he missed about a season and a half within that span alone. After playing 159 games and bashing a career-high (and major league-high) 59 homers in 2017, he was traded to the Yankees, and while he dipped to 38 homers, the fact that he was available for 158 games was still a net positive.

Stanton’s 2019 season, however, was the most frustrating of them all. He didn’t even make it out of March unscathed, and played just 18 regular season games. During the team’s season-opening series against the Orioles, he strained his left biceps, landing on the Injured List on April 1, no fooling. Just as that injury was clearing up, he needed a cortisone shot in his left shoulder due to what was eventually diagnosed as a strain. He headed out on a rehab assignment on May 20, but after being hit by a pitch during batting practice, the assignment was put on hold due to what was soon revealed to be a left calf strain. He finally returned to the Yankees on June 18, but played just six games before suffering what was initially believed to be a right knee contusion on a slide into third base, but later discovered to be a strain of his posterior collateral ligament. He was out until September 18, and remained upright into the postseason, but suffered a right quad strain while legging out an infielder hit during the ALCS opener against the Astros, and played just once more in the series. Who knows how things might have turned out had he remained healthy?

Only the industry-wide shutdown due to the pandemic prevented Stanton’s 2020 from approaching that level of frustration. He was diagnosed with a Grade 1 strain of his right calf in late February, and would have begun this season on the IL had it started on schedule. He was good to go by the time summer camp rolled around, however, made it through unscathed, and homered off the Nationals’ Max Scherzer in his first plate appearance of the season. He followed that up with a 483-foot blast off Erick Fedde two days later, the longest in the majors this year until Ronald Acuna Jr. hit one 495 feet on September 25.

After serving as the Yankees’ designated hitter in 14 of the team’s first 15 games this year, Stanton left the second game of the team’s August 8 doubleheader with the aforementioned hamstring strain, and what was initially expected to be a three- to four-week absence went beyond five. He returned on September 15 and was handled carefully, playing just nine of the team’s final 13 games; he went 4-for-5 with a double and a homer on September 17 but otherwise just 3-for-30 in his return. Not once in his 23 total games did he play a defensive position, and for the year, he hit a modest .250/.387/.500 with four homers in 94 PA, that after a .288/.403/.492 showing with three homers in 72 PA in 2019.

Within the limited data he’s produced, Stanton’s average exit velocity has fallen from its Statcast era peak, but with so many starts and stops, it’s difficult to get a true read on his recent performance: