Spring training, a time of renewed hope and fresh starts, delivered a familiar jolt to Yankees fans. Giancarlo Stanton, the injury-prone slugger whose home runs win games, is once again on the injured list. It is no small detail anymore – it is highlighting an old problem over the years.

The official announcement goes like: “The New York Yankees announce that Giancarlo Stanton (right and left elbows) will begin the season on the Injured List.”

But honestly, did anyone really expect anything different?

Since 2019, excluding the 2020 mini-season, Stanton has averaged just 92 games a regular season. Stanton’s injury history is a series of recurrences. In 2019, he sat out most of the season because of a bicep strain, a shoulder injury, and a knee sprain. In 2021, he was hampered by quadriceps and ankle injuries, which reduced his appearances. And in 2023, Stanton was sidelined for several weeks with a hamstring strain.

And of course it directly affects his numbers. In years when he played fewer than 100 games, his batting average has been on average 20 points lower, and his slugging percentage is  50 points lower than in his healthier years. In 2019, for example, in just 18 games, Stanton’s slugging percentage was .500, lower than his career average of .537.

Now, let’s talk about the fans. Forget the polite press releases; the real story is in the digital channels, where every tweet and forum post is a raw nerve exposed.

The Yankees backlash: numbers, sarcasm, and wasted millions

For fans, this is hardly a surprise. The same message has been playing throughout the stadium and on social media like a broken record.“What a shocker. This guy spends more time on the DL than anyone…” seethed one fan – sarcasm oozing from the comment. It is not mere annoyance. It is a kind of fatigue. In fact, since signing with the Yankees in 2018, Stanton has appeared in only 56 per cent of the team’s regular-season games. That’s an unbelievable chunk of absence for a player who’s supposed to be an offensive centerpiece.

The figures only added fuel to the fire.“Stanton has played in just 56% of Yankees games since joining the team. How much longer can they rely on him as a key piece?” Another fan asked, the hard numbers a consistent indictment of the Yankees. This is not a single injury – it’s a trend. It’s a $325 million bet that’s beginning to feel like a fool’s gamble. Imagine a player who is a superman when fit, but who can be found in the trainer’s room for much of each season.

And of course, this is more than a personal loss; it deprived the team of its very character. “They have 1 good hitter now…” as one fan put it – the truth is obvious. Aaron Judge, last year’s AL MVP, is a giant – but even giants need support. Without Stanton, the batting order lost much of its punch, and the burden on Judge to perform weighed heavily. They used to have good hitters in Gleyber Torres and Anthony Rizzo once upon a time but neither is in New York now.

It is not merely a sporting frustration: fans in all leagues shared the pain.” Omg this guy is like Joel Embiid,” lamented one fan, referring to the injury-prone superstar of the Philadelphia 76ers. This is not merely an analogy, but an observation of a recurring phenomenon: the feeling of seeing a great talent always benched.

And it isn’t merely a matter of losing games – it is a feeling of wasted investment.“You pay him to play in the postseason. That’s it,” pointed out one supporter, who bluntly noted that Stanton is worth nothing but what he does in October. And who can argue otherwise! Let’s put it this way: Let’s assume that Giancarlo Stanton signs a 13-year, $325 million contract with the Yankees, meaning that at $325 million Stanton gets $25 million a year. At 56 per cent availability, that effectively means about $11 million paid for time spent on the injured list.

And in the meantime, with the burden falling heavily on Judge, the Yankees’ lineup faces a crucial test. Can they overcome Stanton’s absence, or will this injury derail their season?