The New York Yankees have hit the most home runs in the big leagues and have the second-best offense by wRC+ in MLB. Those numbers could get even better now that Giancarlo Stanton has been activated off the injured list for Monday night’s game against the Los Angeles Angels. Utilityman Pablo Reyes was designated for assignment.
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Stanton has missed the entire 2025 season so far after being diagnosed with tennis elbow in both arms during the offseason. Stanton previously said he dealt with a “very high” pain level when he’d swing a bat, and he’s also said this will be something he’ll likely have to manage for the rest of his career.
But he’s ready to go for the Yankees after playing in three games with Double-A Somerset last week as part of a rehab assignment. With Stanton back, how Yankees manager Aaron Boone crafts the lineup daily will be a major topic of conversation. On any given day, the Yankees will have at least two above-average hitters on their bench, if everyone stays healthy. The Yankees have 11 players with a 100 wRC+ (league average) or better.
Because Stanton is limited to being the designated hitter, the team’s positional flexibility will be compromised.
Ben Rice leads the Yankees in plate appearances as the DH, and he should continue getting at-bats. Rice’s wRC+ is 117, and that’s with being among the unluckiest hitters in baseball — xwOBA is one of the best publicly available stats to measure contact quality, and Rice ranks ninth in MLB. Rice is tied for the fifth-largest difference between his wOBA and xwOBA, meaning he’s due for positive regression as long as he continues to hit the ball hard. He ranks in the 98th percentile in hard-hit percentage and average exit velocity.
Boone mentioned during last week’s series in Kansas City that he’ll look to have Rice start some games at catcher. That would be one way to get his bat in the lineup more often, as Austin Wells does not play every day. If the Yankees use Rice as their backup catcher, J.C. Escarra would be impacted. Escarra has been excellent defensively, ranking No. 1 with the highest strike rate behind the plate. If Rice is passable defensively at catcher, which the Yankees believe he can be, he needs to play. His bat is too advanced not to be in the lineup as often as possible.
Another way to get Rice in the lineup is to have him platoon at first base with Paul Goldschmidt. This could be the Yankees’ best option. Rice has a 132 wRC+ against right-handed pitchers this season, whereas Goldschmidt only has a 91 wRC+. Against left-handed pitchers, Goldschmidt has a 242 wRC+ on the season, while Rice has a 71 wRC+ versus southpaws. Only Aaron Judge and Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith are crushing lefties more than Goldschmidt across MLB. If the Yankees want to maximize their lineup’s production, it’s clear what they should do at first base.
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With Stanton, 35, likely getting the majority of the DH at-bats moving forward, Boone must figure out how to get at-bats for four different outfielders. As with the first base situation, the Yankees can utilize platoon advantages to determine who receives the starts. Judge is starting every day regardless of the pitcher’s handedness. The same goes for Cody Bellinger. That leaves Trent Grisham and Jasson Domínguez for the final spot. This is a tougher call for Boone to make.
On the season, Grisham has a 166 wRC+ against righties, the 12th-highest in MLB. Domínguez has a 127 wRC+, but the Yankees have more invested in his future and want him to get as much experience as possible. He’s much better hitting from the left side of the plate than the right side. The Yankees could opt for a more even split, with Grisham entering games when Domínguez starts, as a defensive replacement in close matchups.
Boone said over the weekend in Boston that he is not considering a straight platoon at first base or in the outfield, so it remains to be seen how he’ll make his lineups.
To get Stanton on the roster, the obvious choice for general manager Brian Cashman was to designate Reyes for assignment. He has performed poorly offensively and defensively, but he did score the lone run in last Thursday night’s win over Kansas City in an amusing fashion.
Regardless of what the Yankees decide to do with the lineup, it’s a good problem for them to sort out. They have too many good players who need at-bats. It’s better than the alternative.
(Photo: Ed Zurga / Getty Images)
