As the race for the playoffs heat up, the chase for the National League Most Valuable Player (MVP) looks to be a lock.
Usually in September, each league has two or three players that are in the discussion for MVP. It is very different this season.
Miami Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton’s batting average has climbed to .299 entering Tuesday.
He leads the majors (among those hitters who have enough plate appearances to be considered “qualifiers”) in RBIs, intentional walks, on-base percentage and OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging).
But more importantly, he provides stability in the middle of the Marlins lineup that cannot be matched. He does not just hit home runs, he hits long, cartoonish-looking bombs.
Thanks to Stanton’s offense, the Marlins are a surprising 65-65 and sit only three games behind the San Francisco Giants for the last Wild Card spot in the NL.
Without Stanton, it could be argued the Marlins would be in the bottom third of teams in all of Major League Baseball.
The Marlins do have a young and electric pitching staff but many injuries have led to inconsistency and lack of innings produced.
So, if the Marlins can rally and make the playoffs, Stanton becomes a shoe-in for the award.
If the Marlins don’t make the playoffs, the award turns into a two-man race between Stanton and Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw.
Kershaw has taken over as the league’s best pitcher and the Los Angeles Dodgers are in first place. Being the ace of a first place staff always persuades fans to give the pitcher the MVP, but there’s already an award for pitchers: it is called the Cy Young award.
Think about it, how can a player get the MVP award when they are on the field once every five games? Justin Verlander is the only pitcher in recent memory to be awarded both the MVP and the Cy Young.
Stanton has carried his team all season long with timely hitting and more importantly, unlike Kershaw, Giancarlo plays every day. He steals bases, hits bombs, plays a solid outfield, and has an ear-to-ear smile while doing it game in and game out.
Some perceive this race as a battle with Milwaukee Brewers standout defensive catcher Jonathan Lucroy.
He has had a nice season on defense, throwing out 25 percent of those attempting to steal — but 13 homers and 60 RBIs, with a .302 average entering Tuesday does not strike the kind of fear representative of an MVP, especially when Stanton in on pace for 40+ home runs and 100+ RBIs.
After losing the top few pitchers in their rotation early on, and having struggled with consistency throughout the summer months, the fact that the Marlins are even in the race in late August is a success itself.
Hypothetically, if the Marlins lose every game in September, Stanton will still probably be awarded the MVP. He has clearly been the National League’s best players all season long.
In a season where offensive numbers are almost an all-time low, Stanton helps the Marlins draw crowds to the spaceship that is Marlins Park. And in reality, isn’t that the job of a true Most Valuable Player?
James Belluscio can be reached at james.belluscio@spartans.ut.edu