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With a pair of long balls in Monday’s 6-5 win over the St. Louis Cardinals, Miami Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton recorded the 13th multi-homer game of his career, setting a new franchise record, per ESPN Stats & Info.

The previous mark of 12 was held by Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez, who played for the Marlins from 2006 through July of 2012. Ramirez and Stanton are now tied at 148 for second place on the Marlins’ all-time home runs list, trailing Dan Uggla (154) by only six.

Uggla and Ramirez homered in the same game 22 times, a then-MLB record for a double-play combo that has since been broken by the Philadelphia Phillies’ Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins.

When it comes to Stanton, there’s been no shortage of statistics to quantify his achievements, as the young slugger seems to be paving a path to Cooperstown.

Per Lee Sinins of Complete Baseball Encyclopedia, Stanton’s 148 career homers are a record through the age of 24 among players who primarily play(ed) right field. Former record-holder Mel Ott, who spent his entire 22-year career with the New York Giants, retired in 1947 with 511 career home runs to his name.

Stanton seems to be headed for a similar total, if not more. While the quantity of his home runs is no doubt impressive, the quality—or should we say distance—is what really stands out.

Stanton has incredibly slugged seven homers of 450 feet or longer this season, eclipsing the number recorded by any team, per ESPN Stats & Info. Only the San Francisco Giants (five) are even close to Stanton’s individual total, as no other club—besides, of course, the Marlins—has produced more than three.

Unfortunately for the Cardinals, Stanton is on fire entering Tuesday’s game, with five home runs and eight RBI in his last five games. Even with ace Adam Wainwright scheduled to take the hill Tuesday, the Cards probably want to tread cautiously.

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Giancarlo Stanton has spent all of the 2014 Major League Baseball season showing us how great he is. He spent all of Monday’s game showing us how great he can still be.

Stanton did a little of everything as the Miami Marlins hung on for a 6-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. Well known for his prodigious power, Stanton put his team up 3-0 with a pair of homers—the first to right field and the second a 470-foot moon shot to left—on his way to a 2-for-3 night with two runs and three RBI.

With the long balls, Stanton brought his season total to 31, tying him with Chicago White Sox rookie slugger Jose Abreu and Nelson Cruz of the Baltimore Orioles for the MLB lead.

But Stanton wasn’t just all about offense Monday. He also made a lunging, highlight-reel catch on the warning track in deep right field to rob Kolten Wong of what could have been a rally-starting extra-base hit to kick off the top of the fifth inning at a time when the Cardinals had fought back to 5-3.

You may have seen this all-around performance in real time, or perhaps you’ve already watched the highlights, but even if either of those apply, it’s worth checking out Stanton’s display of damaging and defending baseballs again:

“He was definitely trying to take that game over, not only with his bat but with his glove,” Marlins manager Mike Redmond said afterward, via Jacob Feldman of the Miami Herald.

The Stanton-driven double-yoo lifted Miami’s record to 58-60 and helped the club gain a game on the Cardinals, who currently inhabit the second wild-card position in the NL.

Because of Stanton’s big night on Monday and monster season overall, the Marlins still are hanging around the playoff chase—they’re 3.5 games in back of St. Louis through play on Tuesday—which puts him in the MVP discussion in a league that lacks a no-doubt front-runner so far.

By season’s end, then, it’s at least possible that Stanton could have some hardware to his name, but it’s just as possible that we have not yet seen the best of him.

For one, Stanton is still just 24 years old, which is remarkable, considering it feels like he’s been around for quite a while. In a way, he has been here for some time, since this is actually his fifth MLB season; he broke into the bigs in June 2010 as a 20-year-old phenom.

Stanton ranks 12th all time with 148 career home runs before his age-25 season. With a month-and-a-half of baseball left, he should climb into the top 10 and perhaps even approach Albert Pujols, who amassed 160 through his age-24 campaign.

You took note of the company on that 150-homers-through-age-24 list, yes?

If that’s not a sign that there’s still plenty more to come from Stanton, then consider that he’s steadily improved both his strikeout and walk rates since his rookie season:

That’s right: Stanton currently is sporting the lowest strikeout rate of his career, and it’s almost five percentage points better than it was when he got started. That shows his ability to make significant adjustments.

In fact, his plate-discipline figures at FanGraphs prove he’s been swinging at a lower percentage of pitches outside the zone (O-Swing%) and swinging and missing more overall (SwStr%) since the start of 2013.

Then there’s Stanton’s solid defense in right field, not to mention the fact that he’s already stolen a career-high 10 bases and is on pace to more than double his previous best (six stolen bases in 2012).

The key for the 6’6″, 240-pound Stanton this year and going forward is his health, which had become a problem early in his career. But after battling all sorts of ailments and issues, including a right hamstring strain last year and right knee surgery in 2012—both of which cost him chunks of seasons—Stanton has been as durable as he has productive so far.

That’s a necessity if Stanton is going to continue showing us how great he is this year—and how much better he can still be in the years ahead.

In one single, dominant performance on Monday, Stanton provided evidence of both.

Statistics are accurate through Aug. 11 and come from MLB.com, Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs.com, except where otherwise noted.

To talk baseball or fantasy baseball, check in with me on Twitter: @JayCat11

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With a two-run blast in the ninth inning of Thursday’s 7-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, Miami Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton moved into sole possession of third place on his franchise’s all-time home runs list, per Lee Sinins of Complete Baseball Encyclopedia.

The home run, No. 144 of Stanton’s career, did little to help the Marlins’ chances of winning in a game that was all but decided. Still, the slugging outfielder moved within 10 long balls of the all-time franchise record of 154 home runs, held by second baseman Dan Uggla, who is currently a free agent.

Sitting in second place is current Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez, who hit 148 homers in a Marlins uniform from 2006 to 2012. Uggla and Ramirez played together as a double-play combo for five season from 2006 to 2010.

The man Stanton passed for third place Thursday night, retired third baseman Mike Lowell, holds the all-time franchise record with 578 RBI. Of course, much like Uggla, Lowell is merely keeping the seat warm for the 24-year-old Stanton, owner of 370 career RBI.

Though he’s been the subject of trade rumors for years now, Stanton figures to stick in Miami for at least a few more seasons, as the team is finally on the cusp of contention. Despite losing ace Jose Fernandez to Tommy John surgery, the Fish have remained competitive, holding a 55-59 record heading into Friday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds.

The team still has more than its fair share of holes to fill, but the outfield at least is set for the foreseeable future, as the powerful Marcell Ozuna is flanked by Stanton and the underrated Christian Yelich. Per FanGraphs.com, the Marlins’ outfield trio has combined for 9.8 wins above replacement (WAR) this season, with Stanton (4.6 WAR) leading the team, followed by Yelich (3.0) and Ozuna (2.2)

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Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton looked like the odds-on favorite to win the 2014 Home Run Derby Monday night after clubbing six homers in the first round. He didn’t hit a single one in the semifinals, though, and the new format may have been the culprit.   

The Home Run Derby took on a different look this year as the leading home run hitters from each league in the first round received byes to the semis. While it was technically a reward, Stanton believes that it contributed to his struggles in the semifinal round, according to Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald.

“It made a bigger difference than I thought it would,” Stanton said. “I kind of have to find something to do in that time, stay warm. It’s definitely a speed bump I couldn’t get over in this one. But it was still fun.”

Staying warm was quite literally an issue for players as temperatures at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota dipped below 60 degrees with rain playing a factor as well. Perhaps taking some cuts in the batting cage would have helped Stanton perform better, but it is easy to say in hindsight.

As pointed out by Marc Carig of New York Newsday, a lot of time passed between Stanton’s first round of swings and his semifinal appearance:

Eventual winner Yoenis Cespedes of the Oakland Athletics wasn’t impacted by the new format, but he had to compete in the quarterfinals, which may have ultimately worked to his advantage.

Like Stanton, Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista failed to reach the finals despite getting a bye straight to the semis, so there may be something to Stanton’s claim.

Despite Stanton’s Home Run Derby appearance reaching a disappointing, he made it clear that he would love to do it again, per Navarro.

“For sure,” Stanton said. “I’ve got to bring it back to the NL.”

Stanton’s mammoth power was on full display in the first round as one of his gargantuan blasts would have exceeded 500 feet had its path not been interrupted, per ESPN Stats & Info:

That goes to show that Stanton certainly has what it takes to win the Home Run Derby, but things simply didn’t work in Stanton’s favor. Cespedes was the best hitter Monday night; however, the result might have been different if Stanton didn’t have to sit around.

Major League Baseball deserves credit for trying something new, but issues are always going to arise. Now that the potential pitfalls of this particular format are apparent, it will be interesting to see how the league handles the Home Run Derby moving forward.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter

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Miami Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton is up to his usual tricks this season, with eight home runs and 32 RBI through 28 games heading into Friday’s contest against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Stanton knocked in 31 of those 32 runs before the end of April, setting a franchise record for most RBI before the beginning of May, per ESPN Stats & Info.

The previous record holder, Moises Alou, had 30 RBI for the Marlins before May 1 in 1997 while also hitting eight home runs. He finished the month with a white-hot .360/.430/.744 slash line, but Alou finished the year at a more modest .292/.373/.493, with 23 home runs and 115 RBI.

Stanton held an excellent but not overwhelming .269/.342/.565 line at the end of April, as his 35 strikeouts through 120 plate appearances (29.2 percent K rate) made it hard to post a top-notch batting average or on-base percentage. 

Where Stanton excelled was crushing baseballs and knocking in runs. His eight home runs are tied with Justin Upton’s for second place in the National League, and his 32 RBI are well ahead of Adrian Gonzalez’s 25 for first.

What’s more, Stanton has a knack for making his home runs count. He’s hit three of the 10 longest dingers in all of baseball this season, per ESPN’s Home Run Tracker. His 484-foot blast on April 4 reigns as the furthest hit homer in the majors this season, two feet ahead of a 482-foot David Ortiz long ball.

The 24-year-old outfielder already has a small piece of Marlins history, but he’s likely aiming higher than an April record. The team single-season home run (42) and RBI (121) records could be in reach, with the former set by Gary Sheffield in 1996 and the latter by Preston Wilson in 2000.

Be it this year, next, or some time in the distant future, Stanton should eventually break at least one of the two records, if not both.

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Giancarlo Stanton is no stranger to hitting long home runs. This solo shot off of Jonathan Pettibone in the 5th inning was no different, landing above the outfield seats in the concession area. 

Stanton wasn’t finished, as he added a two-run shot in the 7th inning. What an impressive display of power from the young star. 

[MLB]

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Hey, the Miami Marlins are 1-0 and are in the first place in the National League East.

At this rate, they will go 162-0 and win the World Series.

Too much, too soon?

Yeah, it probably is, but that’s what happens when the Marlins score 10 runs in their season opener Monday to back a nine-strikeout, six-inning gem from 21-year-old pitching phenom Jose Fernandez. The win marked the first time the franchise has been above .500 since June 16, 2012 when they beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 in 15 innings.

While some might actually be naive enough to think the Marlins will go 162-0 and win the World Series, few are predicting the Marlins to go from worst to first, let alone get to .500. That said, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the 2014 season. Why else would one of the bigger dirty secrets in sports media is to write as many feel-good stories as possible in the offseason? Because no team can lose games when there are no games to be played.

But now that there has been a game played and won, some Marlins think there is a reason to be hopeful about 2014 despite losing 100 games last year and finishing last in the NL East three consecutive years.

I hope so, because this team is special,” Fernandez told MLB.com after the opener. “I see that. Not because we scored 10 runs (Monday). We’re going to lose a couple, but this team is going to fight. That’s the only thing we want. We want to go out there and fight.

Well, we’re not going to stop at one reason, are we? In lieu of Fernandez’s fighting spirit, here are three more reasons to be optimistic about the Marlins’ 2014 season.

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Now that the General Manager Meetings have wrapped up last week, activity has begun to pick up.

In the past week, starting pitcher Tim Hudson has a pending agreement to join the San Francisco Giants, outfielder Marlon Byrd inked a deal with the Philadelphia Phillies and catcher Carlos Ruiz decided to stay put with the Phillies. That’s three of ESPN.com’s top 50 free agents off the market. 

Moreover, rumors are swirling as we are a little more than a week away from the Thanksgiving holiday. For instance, Jay-Z and the New York Mets held a secret dinner Monday night to discuss free agent second baseman Robinson Cano, according to the New York Post. Last week, the New York Post had a theory the Miami Marlins could be a stealth bidder for Cano’s services because they are further along in their accumulation of young talent, and no owner has proven more impetuous in spending and selling off than Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria.

Basically, at this time of the year, you can’t trust everything you read. But because of that, we’re here to help decipher what is real and what is fantasy in the Marlins world.

From the least impactful to most impactful, we’ll play fact or fiction with the latest Marlins rumors.

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Imagine a scenario where the Miami Marlins calls Jay Z’s sports agency, Roc Nation, and tells him they are prepared to offer All-Star second baseman Robinson Cano the 10-year, $300 milllion contract the New York Yankees aren’t willing to put on the table. 

Roc Nation, surprised but skeptical because of what team is on the other line, decides to tell the Marlins they want $350 million for 10 years. Unfazed, the Marlins says that won’t be a problem. 

By Christmas, Cano signs with the Marlins, and the baseball world is stunned.

Believe it or not, the New York Post’s Joel Sherman thinks the Marlins could be a stealth bidder for Cano because they are further along in their accumulation of young talent, and no owner has proven more impetuous in spending and selling off than Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria.

In reality, this scenario is a pipe dream. There’s a better chance the Chicago Cubs will win the 2014 World Series than the Marlins have on spending more than $300 million on one single player. But if the Marlins did pull it off, no one would have seen it coming.

And that’s the point of this exercise, which is we will take a look at what big moves, from least likely to most likely, the “cash-strapped” Miami Marlins could realistically pull off this offseason. 

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Last week, we took a look as to what players might not be with the Miami Marlins in 2014. 

Today, based on who we think will still be here, we’re going to take a look as to what the Marlins starting lineup will be next season.

The rules are simple. The Marlins chosen to start next season must be under team control in some fashion for the 2014 season. This means guys such as Juan Pierre and Placido Polanco, who signed one-year deals  with the Marlins in the offseason, were not selected because they had little to no shot of starting next year, especially considering their current roles as bench players. Also, this means free agents such as Brian McCann, Robinson Cano, Jacoby Ellsbury and Matt Garza will not be coming to South Beach anytime soon.

While you might be very familiar with the names on this list, keep in mind these players have earned the starting nod either through outstanding production or merely by default. 

Without further ado, let’s present the starting nine for the 2014 Miami Marlins in lineup card fashion.

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