For a minute there, it looked like Giancarlo Stanton’s moment had passed. Every since inking the largest contract in baseball history, his performance had fallen off gradually, and his injury problems had seemed to only get worse. Between 2015 and 2016, he had played in 193 of a possible 324 games, with a .250/.334/.536 slash line that would be imposing for most corner outfielders but disappointing for this one.
But after a modest start to this season, Stanton has rediscovered his early-career power. For the season, he’s hitting .278/.363/.601 with an MLB-leading 33 home runs, and he’s currently in the midst of an insane hot streak. One July 5, he went 3-for-5 and launched two dingers, and since then he has batted .338/.434/.969(!) with 12(!!!) home runs. It has been one of the best stretches of his career and has restored his reputation as one of the most fearsome sluggers in baseball.
On Wednesday, Stanton homered again, while going 3-for-5 in a 22-10 Marlins rout against the Rangers. It was another bomb, and it came with some sweet revenge against Texas pitcher Jason Grilli, who had struck him out (and celebrated the accomplishment exuberantly) a night earlier.
https://twitter.com/McCartyConnor/status/890415717635338241
You know you’re going well when you can exact vengeance on demand and humiliate your opponent before the ball lands.
Stanton has been subject of some trade rumors—with reports suggesting he could even join Aaron Judge in New York—but the Marlins say they want to keep him around until after the team is sold, so the new owner can make that decision himself.
Though we don’t expect Stanton to keep averaging more than three homers a week, as he has in July, it seems he has his mojo back. He’s striking out less than ever before, while slugging as well as ever before. If we look toward typical indicators of luck, his batting average on balls in play is actually low relative to his career norm, and his home run/fly ball rate is only slightly above his previous seasons. And Statcast suggests he’s still whacking the ball. Meanwhile, he has played in 98 of the Marlins’ 99 games.
All of which is to say, Giancarlo Stanton—at least while healthy, knock on wood—is back to being an other-worldly baseball-bashing superhero, just as it should be.
