KANSAS CITY, Mo. – When something needs to be said, Giancarlo Stanton makes sure his voice is heard. He may not be the loudest or most bombastic in the room; In fact, he is one of the most reserved players on the New York Yankees. But when he speaks at hitters’ meetings, everyone knows to pay attention.

“His words mean something,” coach James Rowson said. “He’s not just talking. He will talk if there is something important. That’s kind of how he works.

“I can tell you that he has a strong voice internally, and we love it when he uses it because his experience adds greatly to our group.”

Stanton lets his bat do most of the talking. When times were tough or when he suffered an injury, he always took responsibility without hesitation. Yet he once noted, “I don’t get paid to be stand-up or to say the right things. I’m here to produce and help us win a championship.”

On Wednesday, he showed exactly why he is one of the MLB’s highest-paid sluggers. In the fourth inning, Stanton launched a 114.1 mph screamer that hit the left-center field wall for an RBI double, giving the Yankees a 1–0 lead. Four innings later, with the score tied at 2, he crushed a towering solo home run over the left-field wall. It was his twelfth home run in just thirty postseason games for the Yankees, giving them a 3-2 lead. That was all the Yankees needed to secure Game 3 and take a 2-1 lead over the Kansas City Royals, paving the way for a chance to advance to the American League Championship Series with a win on Thursday.

Stanton launched a home run on a 3-1 hit against Royals reliever Kris Bubic, but it was the 2-1 pitch that moments later set in motion the silence that enveloped Kauffman Stadium. Bubic delivered a slider that narrowly missed the bottom of the strike zone. Stanton followed it all the way to the glove of Royals catcher Salvador Pérez. On the next pitch, Pérez. signaled for an up-and-down slider, but Bubic missed his spot. This landed in almost the same location as the 2-1 slider. This time Stanton didn’t let it pass.

“This is what I came here for.” – @Giancarlo818 🔥 pic.twitter.com/vFUbxjzrzM

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) October 10, 2024

“It wasn’t a bad throw,” Stanton said. “Just under form, was on time and was able to get it out.”

Hours before the first pitch, Stanton was on the field taking early batting practice while assistant hitting coach Casey Dykes manned the pitching machine and Rowson and bench coach Brad Ausmus watched from behind the cage. Between swings, Stanton, Rowson and Ausmus watched the video to make sure his mechanics were in sync.

When his batting practice ended, Stanton walked down the dugout steps to the clubhouse with a smile on his face. His teammates knew one of the most feared sluggers of this generation was ready for launch.

“From the first at bat to the last at bat, I could see how locked in he was,” Yankees third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. said. “He was doing his thing all day long. Even watching him swing during pre-match cage work, you can tell he was really locked into his work. I expected a big day from him.”

Stanton entered Game 3 1-for-8 at the plate in the series, having managed to lift just one ball to the outfield in the first two games — his other outs coming from ground balls and strikeouts. While he hit missiles, they stayed on the ground, an unfavorable outcome considering his lack of speed. Yankees manager Aaron Boone remained optimistic and believed Stanton’s timing was just a check-off. He was right.

Throughout the season, much of the focus on the Yankees’ offensive success has been on Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, often compared to the modern-day counterparts of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Judge hit 58 home runs; Soto, a career-best 41. Stanton was largely the forgotten man. Stanton finished with a career-worst 86 wRC+ last year, but rebounded this season with a 116 wRC+. He was the Yankees’ third-best hitter this season, but at times he can be frustrating in ways that many other hitters are not. He swings in places far from the plate and in the mud. He won’t pick up the ball as often as he should, given his strength. He will strike out over 30 percent of his plate appearances.

“I don’t think he cares if…,” Boone said The Athletics. ‘He’s just a killer and mentally strong and doesn’t give results. It doesn’t affect him. When he goes out there and waves and looks terrible and everyone yells at him, he’s so mentally locked up. I think this brings out the best in him because he knows what’s at stake.’

This be October.

The most surprising moment of Stanton’s postseason career came in the sixth inning. After hitting a single, Stanton stole second base. It was his first stolen base in four years, stunning everyone in the Yankees dugout. First baseman Oswaldo Cabrera said Stanton stealing a base sent a message all along: He will do whatever it takes to win.

If you won it all, Stanton’s legacy could be forever enshrined in pinstripes. Among all Yankees with at least 30 postseason games in franchise history, Stanton’s .964 OPS ranks fourth all-time. You know the other three by one name: Ruth, Gehrig, Reggie. What’s missing from Stanton’s resume is a title. That’s the most important thing in The Bronx.

“There’s no point in not being successful here no matter what,” Stanton said. “It’s always my job to put the work in, and there are ups and downs, but we’re here now.”

(Photo: Ed Zurga/Getty Images)