The New York Yankees clinched the AL East division title with a win over the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday, and Giancarlo Stanton played a major role, going 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI.

After the game, Stanton was asked if the Yankees are the team to beat heading into the MLB playoffs, and he sent a strong message with his response.

“We better be. That’s the point,” Stanton said, via SNY.

While Aaron Judge and Juan Soto have drawn the vast majority of the headlines in New York, Stanton has quietly had an impressive season, smashing 27 homers to go along with 72 RBI over 453 plate appearances. A hamstring injury in the middle of the summer threw a wrench into what could have been a truly special season for the veteran, who boasts a nice .245 ISO and solid 117 OPS+ in 2024.

So, are the Yankees the team to beat? They may very well be.

The trio of Judge, Soto and Stanton in the middle of the order is certainly lethal, and New York’s top three o Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil and Carlos Rodon in the starting rotation is tough, as well.

The Bronx Bombers have certainly had their fair share of issues this season, including an absolutely dreadful month of July that also happened to coincide with Stanton’s injury.

As a matter of fact, in games that Stanton hasn’t played this season, the Yankees are 23-24 with a .243 batting average. When he plays, they are 70-42 and are hitting .252.

Talk about a stark difference.

Again, Judge and Soto may be the Yankees’ best players, but there is no denying the value that Giancarlo Stanton holds to the team.

We’ll see if the New York Yankees can deliver a 28th World Series championship this fall.

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