Giancarlo Stanton goes to the IL and the panic is understandable. The man has hit over 400 career home runs and changes any lineup he’s in just by showing up. But there’s another way to read this situation: the Yankees have four legitimate options to rotate at designated hitter, and with Judge and Bellinger coming back, the damage is a lot more controllable than the initial reaction suggests.
A Revolving Door Nobody’s Talking About
@eyyankees put it plainly: Rice, Goldschmidt, Garcia and Jones can take turns at DH depending on who’s starting in the field that day. This isn’t desperation — it’s roster flexibility, and it’s a real plan.
- Ben Rice brings legitimate left-handed power and has shown he can do damage in the lower part of the zone.
- Paul Goldschmidt, at 38, remains a reliable contact hitter against left-handed pitching.
- Oswaldo Garcia adds defensive versatility that frees up the DH spot for others when he’s out in the field.
- Jahmai Jones rounds out the group as a right-handed option on specific days.
None of them is Stanton. But the four of them together cover what Stanton was doing alone — and with a lot less risk of having all that production sitting on the IL at once.
Let’s Be Honest About What Stanton Actually Brings
Before moving on, the numbers deserve respect. Stanton is one of the most purely powerful hitters in recent baseball history — he’s consistently posted an average exit velocity above 95 mph throughout his career, a level very few hitters ever reach. When he connects, the ball doesn’t just leave the park; it leaves the zip code.
The problem has always been that when. His injury history is as well-documented as his power numbers. Over the last four years, Stanton has spent more time on the IL than in the active lineup in more than one season. A rotating DH solution isn’t just a Plan B — in many ways, it’s a more stable plan than banking on Stanton playing 130 games.
Judge and Bellinger Are the Real Key
The whole argument rests on one important assumption: that Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger come back healthy. That’s the actual turning point for New York down the stretch.
With Judge in the lineup, the Yankees have the best hitter in the American League by OPS and WAR — a player who in full seasons has accumulated more than 10 WAR, meaning ten wins above what a replacement-level player would provide. That changes the weight of any lineup around him.
Bellinger adds outfield depth and a left-handed bat that, when he’s locked in, produces consistent contact. If both return in form, the rotating DH doesn’t just cover Stanton’s absence — it could become the piece that gives regulars rest during the final push toward October.
That’s not a bad Plan B. That’s basically Plan A with a different name on it.
