Giancarlo Stanton: A Story on Courage and Greatness.
New York Yankees Star is set for Massive Season and will be the 2023 AL MVP
In 2014, Giancarlo Stanton became the highest-paid North American Athlete, signing a 13-year contract extension valued at $325 million with the Miami Marlins. However, this was close to never happening–more than once–during his career.
As a 17-year-old, at 6 ‘6 and 210 lbs, some thought Stanton had the build to become an elite wide receiver or tight end in the NFL. While studying at Notre Dame, he was a three-way athlete playing football, basketball, and baseball. His athletic ability caught the eye of former USC Head Coach Pete Carroll, who offered him a football scholarship to play at USC. Still, Stanton felt it was time to commit to one sport full-time for the first time in his life, and he chose baseball — a decision that in hindsight, seems like destiny.
Back in 2007, Stanton was drafted by the Florida Marlins as a second-round pick without signing a contract but receiving $475,000 as a signing bonus. The Marlins opted to pick Matt Dominguez as their first-round pick — who never played in the majors for the Marlins — and waited on Stanton for the second round.
He rose quickly through the Marlins’ farm system, and in 2010 he was ranked as the 3rd best prospect in the league behind Lefty Power Hitter Jason Heyward and the dynamic starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg. Stanton debuted in the Majors on June 6th, 2010, and in just his first 100 games as a Major Leaguer he crushed 22 home runs, setting the tone from the get-go as an elite player.
The future was bright both for the Marlins and for Stanton. But before becoming one of the league’s most feared sluggers, he faced various challenges, some of which could potentially end his career altogether.
His career has been at risk of being cut short many times, including once when an 88-MPH fastball — thrown by then Milwaukee Brewers’ pitcher Mike Fiers — struck his face, causing multiple facial injuries and dental damage that pushed him to the sidelines when he was on pace to be the National League MVP.
Doctors told him it would take at least six to eight weeks to recover; five teeth were damaged — one completely gone — and the others suffered as much as 30% damage. Stanton had so much blood trapped inside his sinuses he had to be medically cleared to fly back home. Doctors told him his career could have ended right then and there; should the ball have hit a few inches higher, it could have damaged his vision for life.
Just picture it for a second: he was hitting a solid .288 batting average with 37 home runs and 105 runs batted in. There were still 17 games remaining in the season, and should he have finished the season, he would potentially have won the MVP.
For his former manager, Mike Redmond — who essentially built his lineup around Stanton — this gruesome injury was one of the toughest things he’d ever witnessed: “It’s devastating for us. Devastating. For his season to end like that, I mean, that’s not good.” Rich Waltz, former Marlins play-by-play commentator, ended his telecast that night saying this was “one of the most devastating nights in Marlins history.”
But if there is one trait he is known — and respected for — it is his courage.
Stanton fully recovered — but a price was paid: his facial nerves were severed, and a side of his left cheek was permanently numb. For many, an injury like this one would mean the end of their careers. For Stanton, setbacks are a test of one’s grit, of one’s resilience, and of one’s determination.
In one interview with the New York Times, he underlined the importance of overcoming challenges: “I’ve had plenty of setbacks in my career, but I always try to use them as learning experiences and come back stronger.”
Rather than giving up or building up an armor to protect himself — although he did start to use a protective helmet with a C-flap extension that covers his left cheek — he kept adapting and improving. He changed his swing almost entirely, tilting his body to the left shoulder and leading his face towards the pitcher. When someone gets hit that hard, the first instinct is to prevent it from ever happening again, to avoid any potential threats.
Stanton instead chose to lean into his fears.
When the 2014 season ended, even with his season-ending abruptly, the Marlins knew they had found a player they could build a winning franchise around. They locked him for the long haul with a 13-year, $325 million contract — the biggest deal in the history of American Sports at that time.
He returned in full force in 2015, being selected for his third All-Star selection. Despite having his season cut short due to another freakish injury — a broken hamate bone in his hand while swinging — he still led the Marlins with 27 home runs in just 74 games.
After two years of battling more setbacks and playing a mere 193 games combined, Stanton prioritized physical recovery, athleticism, and embracing a more dynamic system to prepare for an entire season, which included yoga, weight lifting, and resistance running. The investment in his health paid off in 2017, as he played his first full season since 2011, it finally translated to realized potential, winning the Most Valuable Player and leading the league with 59 home runs and 132 runs batted in.
After that record-breaking season ended, the Marlins were passing through a tough period as a franchise. Their finances were being questioned, their lack of results began to catch up with them, and the calls for the owner Jeffery Loria to sell his team grew louder by the day.
Loria decided to sell the Marlins to Bruce Sherman for $1.2 billion; Sherman had a completely different vision — and definition — of a winning team and decided to tear apart the roster that the previous ownership built — and one of the falling pieces was Stanton.
When Stanton signed the long-term deal he was committed to bringing a championship to Miami, so committed, he included a no-trade clause in his contract. But the incoming ownership implied that yet another rebuilding was set to begin, and he wanted no part of it. He wanted to win.
After the dust settled from the franchise sale, Stanton was traded to the New York Yankees, the epitome of a winning franchise.
After winning the MVP award, coming into a new season with a new team — one expected to get to the World Series yearly — can be daunting for many. For Stanton, it was a calling to step up and win. The Yankees have made the playoffs every year since he arrived on the team, and, despite being challenged with more injuries and playing just 18 games in 2019, he has hit 111 home runs and has become a crucial piece of the Yankees lineup.
This kind of story reminds me of Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey. Stanton’s call for a journey began by being drafted by the Marlins. He faced adversity numerous times, had to live up to the pressure of his record-breaking contract, and faced a career-threatening injury. Yet, he always rose to the challenge, going through personal transformations, including becoming a leader in the clubhouse and switching his approach at the plate — facing his fears head-on.
If there is one player in the MLB who has had to endure setbacks during his career — while being called one of the best players in the sport — Stanton is arguably on top of this list.
Now, the ultimate challenge within his Hero’s Journey is upon him. Will he be able to bring a championship back to the Bronx? The expectations cannot be higher. The pressure, neither. 33-year old Stanton is entering his 14th season as a professional player and has transitioned to a veteran player. Yet, everything points out that the 2023 season will be one to remember. His swing during Spring Training is in ‘midseason form’, already collecting several 100+ MPH hits.
Stanton has yet to make an appearance in the World Series. Still, after all that he has surpassed and the progress he has made in making sure he stays healthy, the Yankees are confident Stanton is poised for a ‘massive season.’
And we are all here for it.
