New York Yankees’ beloved Aaron Judge is on the mend. While Bronx fans wait for his arrival back on the field, veteran stars must step up their game. Injuries from Giancarlo Stanton, Harrison Bader, and Carlos Rodon have long afflicted the team. On a pleasant note, Stanton and Bader are finally back now. Yet Bronx fans are reluctant to pin their hopes on the two.

While Bader adds tremendous defensive power, what the team needs help with is an offense. And many think that while Judge is out, the other big guy in the lineup needs to helm the team in his stead. Even MLB’s Bryan Hoch urges Stanton to ‘be the man.’

MLB Insider urges Giancarlo Stanton to shine brightly for the New York Yankees

Stanton is a star in his own right, even if his light might have been dimmed by standing in the shadow of Aaron Judge. However, now that Judge cannot be on the field, MLB insider Bryan Hoch urges the designated hitter to show why he is worthy of a Yankees contract. Addressing the uncertainty of the captain’s return, Hoch also referred to the recent baseball activities Judge was involved in. 

“Him playing catch in Oakland is a good sign, but you need Stanton now. This is when you really need him to step up and be postseason Stanton and help them win some games, do some damage here. This is his opportunity to kind of be the man on this team right now because 99 is not there. He’s the captain, but he’s in the dugout, so you need somebody on the field.” Hoch said in an interview with Talkin’ Yanks.

During spring training, many addressed that Stanton staying healthy would give a massive boost to the Yankees and Judge. Perhaps an injury to their captain was something other than what most people saw coming. But now that one powerhouse is temporarily unavailable, the other will have to steal the spotlight. Judge shone in the outfield, where Stanton needs to be.

Aaron Boone wants Stanton in the outfield

The Yankees’ manager has stated that their injury-prone DH being healthy would be a big win for the Bronx Bombers. He also believes being in the outfield would help Stanton with flexibility, and it’s also the position Stanton wants. Given his 6’6″ stature, there’s no doubt he would be an asset there, and the team seems to be slowly making a transition.

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“Also, very quietly, they’ve got him playing the outfield again. I know that’s something Stanton thinks really helps him…Every time you ask him [Aaron Boone] about it, [he goes] ‘Well, you guys keep bringing up that he likes to play outfield,'” Hoch told Talkin Yanks.

“We keep bringing it up because Stanton keeps mentioning it…the reason we are asking about it is because Stanton wants to play in the outfield more.”

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Since both parties want the same thing, fans hope this arrangement works out for Stanton and the team. After more losses than wins, the Yankees could do with a consistently good performance.