Clutch Yankees: 2025 Giancarlo Stanton vs. 1998 Darryl Strawberry

Hitting a baseball is unquestionably one of the hardest things to do in sports. And it's even harder when you don’t play every game. This year, after missing the first couple of months with an injury to both elbows, Giancarlo Stanton has settled into his role as a dependable, clutch hitter, even though he does not play every day. He’s even become a fairly successful pinch-hitter. 

So, with Stanton delivering multiple clutch performances in limited action, it got us thinking, who, if anyone, in recent Yankees’ histo ry has had a similar impact at the plate in limited playing time? 

Enter Darryl Strawberry in 1998.

Fans remember the 1998 season as the one in which the Yankees won 114 regular-season games, won 125 games overall and captured their second World Series in three years while also kicking off a run that would see them win three straight World Series Titles. 

It was during that dominating season that the then 36-year-old Strawberry, who was once one of the most feared sluggers in the game, turned back the clock and delivered a multitude of clutch performances in just 101 regular-season games. In just 295 at-bats, Strawberry blasted 24 home runs, drove in 57 runs and crushed two memorable pinch-hit home runs. In fact, his 24 homers were more than he had hit in his previous five seasons combined. 

To dive further into Strawberry’s resurgence, he appeared in 71 of the Yankees’ wins and hit 21 of his 24 homers in those games. Of his 101 games played, Strawberry entered seven of them as a sub, hitting two home runs and driving in eight runs in such situations. In 99 plate appearances with runners in scoring position, Strawberry delivered a .282 batting average, six home runs, 34 RBIs and p ut together a .986 OPS. 18 of his 24 homers and 45 of his 57 RBIs came with the Yankees either trailing by or ahead by four runs or less. 

The aging slugger was especially lethal in high-leverage situations, batting .340 with a 1.053 OPS. To cap things off, five of his homers came in innings seven through nine. 

Now, for Stanton in 2025, the 35-year-old slugger was once one of the most feared sluggers in baseball. Injuries have robbed him of that dominance. However, this season has been a resurgent one for him, especially of late. In 47 games so far, spanning 152 at-bats, Stanton has 15 home runs, 40 RBIs and has crushed two dramatic pinch-hit home runs. 

Of his 47 games played, Stanton has entered nine of them as a sub, hitting two homers and driving in six runs. In 59 plate appearances with runners in scoring position, Stanton has delivered a .348 batting average, six home runs, 28 RBIs and a ste llar 1.252 OPS. 13 of his 15 home runs and 31 of his 40 RBIs have come with the Yankees either trailing by or ahead by four runs or less. 

In high-leverage situations, Stanton is batting .294 with a .988 OPS. And lastly, he has two home runs and 10 RBIs in innings seven through nine. Plus, he has a homer and two RBIs in extra innings. 

So, as you can see, both Strawberry in 1998 and Stanton in 2025 have mastered the art of delivering big hits in clutch situations while receiving limited playing time.