Stanton ends south of 60 in power-mad campaign
MIAMI— In the Year of the Homer, Giancarlo Stanton had the most out of everyone.
More than anyone in a long time, too.
The Miami Marlins’ slugger led the majors with 59 home runs this season, the most by a big leaguer since 2001. Stanton spent the final three games chasing the ultimately elusive No. 60, his quest ending with a ninthinning strikeout in Sunday’s finale as 25,222 fans — some of them surely thinking it was Stanton’s final swings with the club — gave him a long ovation.
“Sums up my year and the appreciation of me for the fans, the fans for me,” said Stanton, whose 132 RBIs also led baseball. “Closes the book on 2017.”
Other statistical achievements of note on the final day of the regular season included:
Houston’s Jose Altuve wrapped up his third AL batting title with a .346 average, just the third right-handed batter since 1900 to win three or more crowns.
Yankees rookie Aaron Judge took the AL home-run title with 52, nine more than runner-up Khris Davis of the A’s. Judge also topped the majors with 208 strikeouts.
Cleveland’s Corey Kluber (2.25) and Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers (2.31) were the ERA kings.
There were no 20-game winners in the majors. Kluber, teammate Carlos Carrasco, Kershaw and the Royals’ Jason Vargas led the way with 18.
Dee Gordon of the Marlins was the stolen-base king with 60, one more than Billy Hamilton of the Reds.
Derek Jeter was at Marlins Park on Sunday, watching the club that will soon be his. A group led by Jeter and Bruce Sherman is expected to close on their $1.2-billion purchase (all dollar figures U.S.) of the Marlins from Jeffrey Loria as early as Monday, and one of their major off-season decisions will surround Stanton — whose salary will soar next season to $25 million.
Stanton is three years into a 13-year contract. He is still owed $285 million in that $325-million deal, and the Marlins lost money this season.
“Everything’s going to be, in some way, different moving forward,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said.
Stanton said he will have a very simple approach when it’s time to sit down with Jeter and the new Marlins leadership.
“I’m going to see what they got, see what the plan is, and we’ll brainstorm from there,” Stanton said.
There were more than 6,000 homers hit across the majors this season, the most ever. But no one hit more than Stanton, who became the first NL player since Prince Fielder in 2007 to even reach the 50-homer mark.