Is Giancarlo Stanton officially a Yankee yet? Asking for absolutely nobody

While it’s hard to take any joy out of the Yankees being good unless you’re from the Tri-State Area, it has been worth a smile to see Giancarlo Stanton absolutely carry the Yankees to a playoff berth this month.

Since Aug. 1st, Stanton is slashing .277/.359/.520. He’s also hit 18 homers the past two months, and four in the last four games, including this one last night that he dug out of his shoelaces to put the Blue Jays to the sword:

“I always want to succeed in those moments, and I have to prepare myself in all aspects to do so,” Stanton said after the game. “It’s good to be able to come through in those moments and just help us win at the end of the day. That’s what it’s about. If I have four or five opportunities at bat, I can do something good.”

Stanton was actually quite good in his first year in The Bronx, as well, but spent the next two years in injury hell. He got a lot of shit for it, which I can only assume is because fans assume that just because he’s a really big guy he should be indestructible, and that he gets paid an absurd contract which he in no way forced the Marlins to sign him to.

But it’s New York, and there’s always some unattainable accomplishment that fans and WFAN hosts have that players have to make that makes them officially a Yankee. Once a fandom gets a rep for being so tough on its players, it spends all its time trying to live up to that. Even if it’s as silly as booing Stanton.

So good for Giancarlo. He’ll get to watch Yankees fans crawling back to him, or never admitting to being hard on him. Probably a rare sense of satisfaction.