DeMarco: Mike Stanton, MLB's next great slugger

OPINION

By Tony DeMarco

NBCSports.com contributor

updated 6:39 p.m. ET Aug. 18, 2011

Tony DeMarco

DENVER - In a week of milestone home runs, you may have missed Mike Stanton hitting the 50th of his career on Tuesday in Coors Field.

It paled in significance, of course, to Jim Thome becoming only the eighth player to reach the 600-homer plateau, or Albert Pujols becoming the first to hit at least 30 in his first 11 seasons.

But let Stanton's blast off Jhoulys Chacin serve notice ? in case you don't already know ? about the game's youngest and next great slugger.

Stanton won't turn 22 until November. Twenty years ago, future Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. also reached the 50-career-homer mark at age 21. Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx belted 33 homers as a 21-year-old in 1929; Stanton currently sits four behind him for this season after going deep in four consecutive games through Wednesday.

Ask Marlins hitting instructor Eduardo Perez for comparisons to Stanton's power, and he quickly rattles off two former teammates you may remember ? Mark McGwire and Bo Jackson.

"(Stanton's) ceiling is what he wants it to be,'' Perez said. "He's more advanced as a hitter than (McGwire and Jackson) at this age, without a doubt. He's got all the tools.''

Stanton knows about the company in which he is being placed, and to his credit, humbly says: "You just kinda take it for what it is, and let it be.''

As for the now-51 career homers: "It's a good start, but then again, it could stop now and nothing more could come of it. It's not necessarily how you start a career, it's how you finish it. You can't be satisfied with the beginning of your career, you have to work off of it, and keep going.''

There is no doubt in the minds of Marlins observers that will be the case. On Monday, Stanton hit his longest blast of the season ? a 472-foot shot off Kevin Millwood that hit several rows up in the center-field lower-deck seats, then bounced up onto the concourse.

"We see them all the time,'' manager Jack McKeon said. "That's just routine for us.''

He was exaggerating ? but only a little.

"He can hit 'em,'' McKeon said. "There's no question about that. He stands right up at the top (for young power hitters).''

"Thirty (homers) by accident,'' is how longtime Marlins broadcaster and former big-league first baseman Tommy Hutton puts it. "He hasn't even figured it out yet, and he's got 29 already (this season).

"He's already hit the longest (home run) at Citi Field. As his career unfolds, we'll be talking about all the different parks where's he's hit the longest one. Put him in the Phillies lineup ? like the they just put Hunter Pence in that lineup ? and it would be scary. Put him in that (Citizens Bank) ballpark, and it would be scary.''

And Stanton still is growing. A three-sport high-school athlete in Sherman Oaks, Calif., Stanton is listed at 6-5 and appears to be taller. His listed weight has increased from 235 at signing in 2007 (as a second-round pick) to a still-lean but muscular 248.

Stanton says he doesn't copy any particular hitter, but as you might expect, likes when the Cardinals are on the Marlins' schedule, so he can watch and learn from the at-bats of right-handed sluggers Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday.

"You take bits and pieces of what they have,'' Stanton said. "You hope it trickles down to your play.''

Stanton has flip-flopped on his bat selection, but nobody's talking about any mechanical flaws that need correcting, or major weaknesses that are being exploited. Perez ? son of Hall of Famer Tony ? stepped in mid-stream this season, and says he has done little more than make suggestions on the mental-approach side of things.

"You watch a 21-year-old kid play,'' Perez said. "You talk baseball with him. You make sure he knows what he's doing right. And when he does something wrong, you make the adjustment with him.

"He is a quick learner, a gifted athlete, and he's a student of the game. And he isn't just a power hitter. This guy has one of the best outfield arms, too. He's saved a bunch of runs defensively.''

By virtually every statistical measure, Stanton's first full season in the majors is an improvement from 2010, when he posted a .259/.326/.507 line with 22 homers and 59 RBI in 100 games after being promoted in June from Double-A Jacksonville, where he was leading the Southern League in seven offensive categories.

And within this season, Stanton's numbers are getting better. His nine post-All-Star break homers are fourth in the NL behind Ryan Howard, Dan Uggla and Justin Upton. Stanton also has drawn 20 second-half walks ? one off the NL lead shared by Holliday and Carlos Pena through Wednesday.

Part of that is Stanton's increasing patience and plate discipline ? the maturation process bearing fruit.

"I'm not letting pitchers control the at-bats, like they did some last year,'' Stanton said. "More patient, better pitch selection. You gotta trust yourself. You can have a philosophy on hitting all you want, but if you don't take it into 7 p.m. (the game), then it doesn't mean anything.''

And the other part of the rising walks total is opposing pitchers being extra careful with Stanton, who sits in the middle of a decimated Marlins lineup that has been stripped of protection due to Hanley Ramirez's injury-riddled season and the unexpected demotion of Logan Morrison.

Marlins managers have had their issues with the self-absorbed Ramirez through the years, and Morrison's demotion is as much for his run of front-office bashing as a .249 batting average. So the franchise's track record with its sluggers isn't good of late.

But so far, so good with Stanton.

"He'll be as good as his pitch selection is,'' Perez said. "Drawing more walks is the secret to hitting .300. When he starts not getting himself out as much, he can be as good as anyone.''

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Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/44190752/ns/sports-baseball/

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