New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton. John Froschauer-Imagn Images

Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton records first regular-season steal since 2020

By David Hill | Last updated Apr 4, 2026 11:10 PM ET

New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton is never going to be confused for a base-stealing threat. However, he picked his spot well on Saturday night.

The Miami Marlins did not hold Stanton at first after he drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the seventh inning. He took off with one out, easily stealing second base as catcher Agustin Ramirez had no chance at throwing him out. After moving to third on a groundout, Stanton scored on a passed ball to give the Yankees a 6-4 lead.

Stanton's stolen base was his first regular-season steal since August 3, 2020, and just his second regular-season steal since 2018. He did manage to steal second base during Game 3 of the 2024 ALDS against the Royals as well.

A healthy Giancarlo Stanton gives New York Yankees additional options

Stanton was a wild card heading into the 2026 season. The tennis elbow in both elbows had been bad enough that Stanton struggled to open a bag of chips. He has also suffered a litany of lower-body injuries, particularly to his hamstrings, which have resulted in numerous stints on the Injured List.

How about the wheels on Giancarlo Stanton?

He steals second base and then later runs home to score on a wild pitch! pic.twitter.com/6V5VnyLZgQ
— MLB (@MLB) April 5, 2026

Despite those injuries, Stanton appeared in 20 games in the outfield in 2025, split between right and left field as the Yankees battled injuries and inconsistent play. It is possible that he could see more action in the outfield this season as well, allowing Aaron Judge and/or Cody Bellinger the chance to get a partial day off as a designated hitter while keeping his bat in the lineup.

A healthy Stanton is not going to suddenly set a career-high in stolen bases as former teammate Juan Soto did for the Mets in 2025. Nonetheless, Stanton could give the Yankees some unexpected flexibility with their lineup if he can keep his legs healthy this year.

David Hill

Based in the mountains of Vermont, Dave has over a decade of experience writing about all things baseball. Just don't ask his thoughts on the universal DH.

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