Breaking Down Stanton’s Outfield Numbers Before a Possible Return

Giancarlo Stanton might be headed back to the outfield soon. If it happens, it would be his first time playing defense since Sept. 14, 2023, when he was 33 years old and not dealing with the elbow issues that shut him down for the start of the season. 

Stanton is now 35 and has spent the past two seasons almost exclusively as the Yankees’ designated hitter.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said there is a chance that Stanton starts in the outfield Saturday against the Astros. Because Aaron Judge cannot play in the outfield after injuring his flexor tendon in his right elbow, the only way to get both their bats in the lineup now is to have Stanton back in the outfield.

So what can we expect from Stanton in the outfield?

"Some range is going to be limited, obviously, but I do feel like he'll make the plays that need to be made," Boone told reporters before Friday night's series-opener against the Astros at Yankee Stadium.

A look at his career numbers tells a mixed story. 

Stanton owns a .980 fielding percentage in the outfield, just a tick below his most recent full-season mark of .988. He’s also made 46 career errors as a right fielder, the most among active players and tied for 90th all-time.

Advanced metrics paint a similar picture of highs and lows. His Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR) once bottomed out at –9.9 in 2013, but he rebounded to a career-best 16.4 in 2015. Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) shows the same fluctuation. In one season, Stanton even edged out Aaron Judge 10–9 in the category. He was always capable of making impact plays when he’s moving well.

That’s always the key with Stanton, when he is healthy. His history of leg issues is what led the Yankees to decide to move to a permanent DH in the first half. 

Going into Satruday’s game, the challenge is that Stanton hasn’t had a real defensive workload in years. His last stretch of regular outfield duty came in 2023, when he played 33 games in right and left field. Since then, injuries and a DH-first role have kept him out of the grass.

For Stanton, it’s a chance to prove he can still handle the position, even if the version of him that once patrolled right field daily feels like a long time ago.