Seven years and counting. Giancarlo Stanton is celebrating his MLB career with the Miami Marlins as one of the most prolific home run hitters in the game today. Injuries have curtailed his play in recent years, but once he gets ahold of a ball and makes contact, the outfielder can hit it as far as anyone in the game today.
Some of the Miami Marlins slugger’s shots are dynamic, bringing out tape measures and conversations starters.
As Joe Frisaro of MLB.com wrote, known for crushing some of the longest home runs in the game, there’s a bit of irony in Stanton’s first game, because his first hit was a slow chopper up the middle that second baseman Chase Utley made a barehanded stab at.
“Probably the hardest hit of my career,” Stanton quipped. “The 105-hopper up the middle.”
Stanton is usually hits in the middle of the middle of the lineup, but Miami Marlins manager Don Mattingly moved him into the second spot in the lineup – which has proven to be the right move for the player and the team.
Stanton has since coming to the Majors, has become the Marlins’ all-time leader in home runs (223) and RBIs (579). Health has been the big issue for Stanton, who has been impactful, but has missed substantial time due to injuries. Yet, the 27-year-old again is having an All-Star-worthy season, with 15 homers and 39 RBIs.
Stanton graduated from Notre Dame High School, before he was selected by the Marlins in the 2007 MLB draft. Stanton made his MLB debut with the Marlins in June 2010. He is a three-time MLB All-Star and was the Hank Aaron Award winner for the National League in 2014 after leading the league in home runs.
Coincidentally, Stanton made the leap from Double-A Jacksonville to the big leagues, and debuted on the same day as Washington’s Stephen Strasburg.