Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
The 2013 season was the most frustrating season of Miami Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton‘s young career.
This offseason prior to the 2013 did not make Stanton happy. Losing players like Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle hurt the morale and losing longtime teammates like Josh Johnson, Hanley Ramirez and Anibal Sanchez during the 2012 season did not help either. Stanton’s mind was not right and neither was his health.
He played the least amount of games in his career in 2013 (116). Injuries may or may not have impeded his success, but what also hurt it was the lack of protection around him in the lineup. Players like Donovan Solano or Juan Pierre were not going to help Stanton see good pitches. The Marlins had no one other than Stanton to strike fear into the hearts of opposing pitchers.
After two straight seasons of 30-plus home runs, Stanton somehow managed to hit 24 homers and drive in 62 RBIs. His slash line decreased significantly as he batted .249/.365/.480. With pitchers not throwing into Stanton’s zone, he was able to increase his walks total from 46 to 74 in 24 fewer at-bats. He did not score as many runs as he did in 2012, nor did he have as many extra-base hits.
Miami needs to make a power play for some offensive talent in the offseason. Losing Jose Abreu hurts, but there are still plenty of other options on the market this winter. The main object should be to keep the franchise player happy and in this case, it is Stanton.
Ryan Gaydos is an MLB columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter, “like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
