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Mike Stanton, all 20 years of him, has officially planted himself among the best power hitters in all of baseball. His .569 slugging percentage, a true indicator of power, ranks 13th in the majors for players with at least 200 at-bats. He already has five homers midway through the month of august.
The kid is 20-years-old!
His batting average has spiked over the last 10 games, jumping forty points to its current standing at .275. With runners in scoring position, only Gaby Sanchez (.327) bests Stanton’s .307 mark among Marlins who play consistently.
Most guys his age are thinking about girls and their next meal, while Stanton is achieving great success at the most difficult task in professional sports, hitting a baseball.
His age clearly shows during interviews with a bunch of “ya knows” thrown into his dialogue. When that’s the main thing the superstar-in-the-making can improve upon, his future looks even brighter.
This fascinating physical specimen has just moved up to the number five spot in the order, with the team looking to capitalize off his sizzling bat.
“It’s not that big of a deal,” Stanton said of the switch. “It doesn’t really matter. Wherever I’m at, it doesn’t really matter, as long as I’m in there.”
The fact that he speaks with such a humble attitude is astounding as well. Here’s a guy who had the athleticism to play any major sport of his choosing collegiately. He was thrown into the majors after just a couple of seasons in the minors and still, his head remains straight.
His swing is pure beauty. Watching the poor, tiny baseball explode off the barrel of his bat is comparable to picking up your first Playboy, or if that’s not your thing, watching a champion racehorse in full stride coming around the final turn.
My hat goes out to Stanton, and I’m petrified when I think about how great of a player he will be three years from now when he’s an old man at 23.
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