In 1969, Mayo Smith continued his experiment playing at shortstop. That year, Stanley played 58 games at shortstop. However, Stanley's batting average dropped precipitously while playing at shortstop, and he returned to center field for 99 games. His batting average recovered when he was returned to center field, and he finished the 1969 season with a .235 batting average, 16 home runs, and a career-high 70 RBIs. Stanley also won his second Gold Glove Award in 1970 after compiling a .985 fielding percentage in 101 games in the outfield.