Why Yankees think Giancarlo Stanton struggles so much in home games

Yankees DH Giancarlo Stanton went into Tuesday’s game hitless in 12 at-bats on his club’s current homestand.

NEW YORK — Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton had another nothing game in Monday’s 5-1 loss to the Houston Astros.

In four at-bats, he struck out four times.

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His stage for this bad performance, like several others in the first two months of the 2018 campaign, was Yankee Stadium.

In his first season as a Yankee, Stanton has followed his 59-homer and NL MVP season with the 2017 Miami Marlins with a lot of predictable play:

He’s frequently good on the road and bad at home.

Here’s the proof:

Stanton was hitting .202 in 28 home games through Monday with six homers, 15 RBIs, 42 strikeouts in 109 at-bats and a .688 OPC compared to .302 in 22 road games with five homers, 13 RBIs 27 strikeouts in 86 at-bats and a .941 OPS.

On the Yankees’ current homestand, Stanton was 0 for 12 against the Los Angeles Angels last weekend, then benched for Monday’s game, a 5-1 home loss to the Houston Astros.

Stanton’s struggles at home began from the get-go, too, as he was 0 for 5 with five strikeouts in his Yankee Stadium debut as a Yankee and 3 for 32 with 16 strikeouts on the first homestand.

Why so bad at home?

Yankees manager Aaron Boone addressed this topic before the Yankees-Astros game on Tuesday.

He doesn’t think it has anything to do with pressure of playing in New York or dealing with some boos here and there.

“I just don’t think he’s got into that long stretch where he’s that MVP that everyone wants to see,” Boone said. “To me, that’s about timing and rhythm. For as many ups and downs that he’s had so far, he’s been really productive for us.

“So I just don’t think from a timing standpoint he’s ever really got it completely locked in like I know that he will at some point. And I think there will be that stretch – that few-week stretch, that month stretch – where he’s really locked in from a timing standpoint and you’ll see the massive production happen on a more consistent basis.”

Randy Miller may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @RandyJMiller. Find NJ.com on Facebook.