New York Yankees: Stanton and Judge remind of sluggers of yesteryear
Acquiring Giancarlo Stanton gives the New York Yankees the potential for a slugger duo reminiscent of the old days.
The last time the New York Yankees had a pair of sluggers like Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton on the same team, “West Side Story” made its debut on the big screen, “Bonanza” was in the midst of its third season on television and President Kennedy had just been sworn in on January 20.
Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris were engaged in one of the greatest home run races in baseball history in 1961, with both Monument Park residents eclipsing the 50-home run mark.
Maris overtook Mantle in the final weeks of the season, breaking Babe Ruth’s single-season record of 60 home runs on the final day of the season.
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The Bronx Bombers haven’t had a power duo quite like these two ever since, but with the addition of Stanton to an already loaded lineup, Yankee fans could be looking at a modern version of the “M&M Boys.”
Stanton’s numbers in 2017 were eerily similar to those of the Mantle and Maris during that historic 1961 season.
His 132 RBI trailed Maris’ 141 RBI by nine and eclipsed Mantles’ total by six.
The 28-year-old’s 59 home runs, which led all of baseball and helped him garner National League MVP honors, trailed Maris’ 61 home runs by two and beat out Maris’ 54. His .281 bested Maris’ batting average by 12 points and fell 36 points below Mantle’s incredible .317 average in 1961.
Stanton also out-hit both players, with his 168 hits besting Maris’ 159 and Mantle’s 163.
Judge’s numbers in 2017 weren’t too far off, either.
His 52 home runs, an MLB rookie record, were only two off of Mantle’s pace and nine less than Maris’s total, and his 154 hits fell just short of both.
The 25-year-old’s .284 batting average, however, bested that of Maris.
Like Judge, Mantle finished second in the MVP voting in the A.L. in 1961, and like Stanton (excluding the different leagues), Maris finished first.
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Could we have another epic home run battle on our hands this summer with the 6-foot 7-inch Judge and the 6-foot 6-inch Stanton?
These comparisons, although over a half-century apart, suggest just that.
Add that to the opposite field power of both Judge and Stanton to the right and right-center field dimensions at Yankee Stadium, and both players, barring injury, could very well be locked in a battle for 60 home runs or more in 2018.