Giancarlo Stanton
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In the month of August, Giancarlo Stanton has hit 18 home runs which tied Rudy York for the second most home runs in a month. The record was set by Sammy Sosa with 20 home runs in the month June of 1998. Stanton has not only had just one good month, Stanton has had a spectacular season. Batting .296 with 51 home runs and 111 RBI. Stanton is also slugging .666 and has an OPS of 1.053. Stanton is on pace for over 60 home runs, a feat that Major League Baseball has not seen since Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa in 2001 had over 60 home runs (Bonds would end up with 73). Throughout his career, Stanton had to overcome many obstacles to get to his historic 2017 baseball season. Now lets take a recap of Stanton’s legacy.
Draft Day
In the 2007 MLB Draft, the Florida Marlins selected Stanton in the 2nd round with the 76th overall pick. The 6’6 slugger was always known for his power and hitting ability. When Stanton first played, he was known as Mike Stanton until the 2012 major league season when he changed his name from Mike Stanton to Giancarlo Stanton.
Minor League Career
Stanton played in the minor leagues for about 3 years from 2007-2010, playing for the Florida Marlins’ Single A and Double A teams until eventually getting called up to the Florida Marlins on June 8th, 2010. During his time in the minors, Stanton batted a .271 with 91 home runs, 249 RBI, slugged a .564 percentage and had an OPS of .930.
Stanton’s Rookie Year
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While playing in 100 games, Stanton batted a .259 with 27 home runs and 59 RBI in his rookie season. The highlight of Stanton’s season was when he hit his first major league home run, a grand slam against the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Injuries Stanton Faced
The main problem in Stanton’s career has been injuries. Before the 2017 Major League season, Stanton has only had one season in his career, 2011, where he has played over 150 games. Besides that season, Stanton has had to deal with some form of injury.
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In 2012, Stanton suffered a knee injury and an abdominal strain that caused him to miss 39 games that season. During the 2013 season, he suffered a shoulder strain, hamstring strain, and a ankle injury that took 46 games to recover from. The following season, Stanton was having an MVP season but unfortunately he was hit in the face with a baseball and suffered facial and dental problems that forced him to miss the last 17 games of the 2014 season. Despite the injury, Stanton would still win a Silver Slugger and the Hank Aaron Award. In 2015, Stanton would break his hand that caused him to only play 76 games for the whole season. The most recent injury Stanton faced was a groin strain that caused him to miss the remainder of the 2016 season, a season in which Stanton just played in 119 games.
Stanton Changes his Batting Stance
Coming into the 2017 season, Stanton had one of his worst seasons. In 2016 he batted .240 with 27 home runs, 74 RBI and Slugging at just a .489 percentage. To solve his batting problems, Stanton changed his batting stance on June 19th 2017. Stanton went from his regular batting stance to a closed batting stance. Closed batting stances are supposed to help the hitter with away pitches, and struggle with the inside pitches; however, because of Stanton’s quick hands, he can hit the inside pitch with ease. (See Diagram Below)
Stanton has had problems with keeping his hands up. Now Stanton uses his front leg in his closed stance to help him elevate his swing. Since the change, his power numbers have increased. From hitting 17 home runs in 282 plate appearances before June 19th, Stanton has hit 34 home runs in 276 plate appearances since June 19th.
Awards and Achievements
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Despite the injuries, Stanton is a 4 time All-Star, a Home Run Derby winner, a Silver Slugger, and a Hank Aaron Award winner. If he can stay healthy for the last month, Stanton can possibly add an MVP, another Hank Aaron Award, and another Silver Slugger to his resume.
Conclusion
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What Giancarlo Stanton has done for his career has been nothing but amazing. If Stanton can stay healthy, he could go down as one of the best power hitters baseball has ever seen. As Stanton chases 60 home runs this season, he continues to add to his legacy.