Giancarlo Stanton can’t get a bag of chips open. But he says he’s ready to play a whole baseball season swinging a bat at 100 mph fastballs. Clint Frazier, a former Yankees outfielder, isn’t missing the contradiction.

He publicly asked how any of this makes sense. Even Stanton’s former teammates are confused about what’s really going on with his elbows after his most recent health update.

Frazier talked about Stanton’s situation on his YouTube channel, and he looked confused.

“Some of those quotes are kind of contradicting in regards to can’t open up a bag of chips but want to play a full season. And I don’t really know how swinging the bat like this is going to get you a not like I don’t even know.”

He continued, “I don’t even know what I’m talking about because I’m confused. But I don’t know how swinging the bat like this is easier than opening up a bag of chips.”

Stanton’s description of living with bilateral epicondylitis, a condition that affects both elbows and has ruined several seasons, is what has confused.

Stanton missed the first 70 games of 2025. He came back in June and hit 24 home runs in just 77 games. He has only had more than 420 at-bats once since 2018. His confession that he couldn’t open bottles or bags raised immediate concerns about how bad his condition is and whether he can last the whole season.

Another worrying thing is how Stanton is handling the injury.

“That’s not going to be fixed in surgery,” Stanton made it clear that he would manage the pain instead. “The key is get in the box… I want a full season,” he stated.

This choice to avoid surgery, even though doctors advised him to, puts both him and the Yankees in a tough spot, especially since he has two years left on his contract that are fully guaranteed.

Stanton is in his ninth season with New York, and they are still looking for their first championship ring, so the stakes are very high. He won the ALCS MVP in 2024 by hitting four home runs against Cleveland, but he had a hard time in the World Series that came after.

His .594 slugging percentage last season showed that he can still hit when he’s healthy, but because his elbow problems are so bad, it’s almost impossible to guess how long he’ll be able to play.

As Opening Day gets closer, the Yankees have to hope that Stanton’s confidence is stronger than the medical reality.

Twelve Yankees head to World Baseball Classic as Stanton uncertainty continues

The Yankees are waiting to see how Stanton’s health is doing, but another problem is making their spring training plans even harder. Twelve players are getting ready to play for six different countries in the World Baseball Classic. Stanton’s situation is already up in the air, so the timing couldn’t be worse.

The Yankees’ best players are going to Team USA.

Aaron Judge, David Bednar, and Paul Goldschmidt will all wear the colors of the United States: red, white, and blue. Austin Wells, Amed Rosario, and Camilo Doval all went to the Dominican Republic. Puerto Rico added Elmer Rodriguez and Fernando Cruz to make its team stronger.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Brendan Beck both signed with Great Britain. Chisholm’s Bahamian background makes him eligible because the Bahamas is part of the British Commonwealth. Jose Caballero goes to Panama, and Harrison Cohen joins Team Israel.

Most fans may not know who Cohen is, but his 1.57 ERA at Triple-A last season is hard to miss.

The exodus is making things hard for New York’s coaches.

When players come back from playing in other countries, it’s very important to manage their workloads. The Yankees have a tough road to Opening Day because Stanton’s elbow problems make it hard to know who will be the designated hitter, and a dozen players are spread out all over the world. They need all of their players to be healthy and ready to go if they want to win the World Series.