BALTIMORE -- Giancarlo Stanton has hit plenty of jaw-dropping drives over the course of his big league career, mammoth shots that lit up the exit velocity leaderboards like a video game. This wasn’t one of them, an opposite-field poke that just had enough mustard to clear the top of the right-field wall.
But Stanton’s first-inning, three-run blast in the Yankees’ 6-1 victory over the Orioles marked his 450th career home run. As far as his teammates are concerned, it may be one that helps to secure a future place in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
“The man is dangerous. A unicorn,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “It’s so unique how routinely hard he hits the baseball. He’s an awesome person, an awesome teammate and still going into what’s a Hall of Fame career. He’s got a lot more to go.”
Stanton’s drive off right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano sent right fielder Jeremiah Jackson crunching back toward the scoreboard, looking up in wait for a carom that never came.
The blast moved the 35-year-old past Vladimir Guerrero Sr. and Jeff Bagwell (449) for sole possession of 41st place on the all-time home run list. Carl Yastrzemski is next, with 452.
“It’s a cool round number,” Stanton said. “It’s cool to see the names I’m catching and tying, and going above. Most important, it helped us win. A great day all around.”
Stanton became the fifth-fastest player ever to reach 450 home runs, doing it in his 1,719th game. Only Mark McGwire (1,524), Babe Ruth (1,585), Alex Rodriguez (1,684), and Harmon Killebrew (1,713) achieved it quicker.
“He’s great,” Carlos Rodón said. “He’s one of the clubhouse leaders in here. He has a lot of knowledge and has played the game for a long time. He’s an incredible player, but a great person as well, and a great guy to have around.”
Boone wasn’t the only person in uniform envisioning a day where Stanton’s likeness hangs in the Hall’s plaque gallery. Tony Mansolino, the Orioles’ interim manager, shared a similar thought.
"The pitch was in a good location to Stanton,” Mansolino said. “It's a great swing by probably a future Hall of Famer right there to take the sweeper kind of down and way off the plate at the bottom of the zone and poke it over the right-field fence here."
Apprised of his manager’s Cooperstown take, Stanton said it was “cool to hear,” adding: “I’m still rolling. That’s for you guys to debate about. I just come in every day and try to do my thing.”
Stanton’s 450 homers are the most among active players; next closest is the Angels’ Mike Trout, who hit his 400th on Saturday. 28 players have reached the 500-homer plateau, most recently Miguel Cabrera in 2021. Stanton can envision getting there.
“I’m a lot of swings away from 500. Of course you think about it,” he said. “You understand that if you bear down, that I’m capable of doing it. It’s just one at a time, and that’s all I can do.”
For now, he’s savoring 450 -- a nice addition to his round number collection of Nos. 100, 200, 300 and 400, all of which are being held safely in various locations, some still wrapped in athletic socks from clubhouse past.
No. 450 made it to the Yankees’ clubhouse by the end of the night, secured by a young fan named Everett -- wearing a youth-sized jersey with Stanton’s name and No. 27 on the back - who caught the ball and asked nothing in return.
Accompanied by his father and grandfather, Everett greeted Stanton outside the visiting clubhouse, where Stanton sent them home with signed baseballs and a personalized bat.
“It was cool to talk with them outside,” Stanton said. “Cool little kid. It was nice to meet them.”