Stanton Wins Player of the Year, McGehee Also Honored

The awards continue to pile up for the Miami Marlins this offseason. Monday, Giancarlo Stanton was awarded the National League’s most outstanding player award by a group that is likely the best in the world at spotting talent, his fellow baseball players.

By now you surely know Stanton’s career best slash rate and 37 home runs this past season. I won’t bore you with the details again, but understand that Giancarlo picked an optimal time to have a career year. This season has Stanton poised to earn gobs of money, and will likely result in him being one of the highest paid outfielders in the major leagues.

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This award should be one of Stanton’s most prized achievements. Anytime you can be recognized by a group of your peers as the best in the game, it is an honor of the highest proportions.

Stanton will finish in the top 3 for the NL MVP, but likely will lose out to Clayton Kershaw‘s magical season. Regardless of that outcome, there wasn’t a better positional player in the National League this year than Giancarlo Stanton, and Marlins fans can hang their hat on that.

Sep 19, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Marlins third baseman Casey McGehee (9) signs autographs before a game against the Washington Nationals at Marlins Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Stanton wasn’t the only one to be recognized by his peers on Monday. Casey McGehee earned the Comeback Player of the Year for the National League.

Now the Comeback Player of the Year Award is a bit like a backhanded compliment. Sure you performed well this season, but unless you suffered a catastrophic injury, it means you had to be really bad in the past. I mean really, really, bad.

McGehee had a decent couple of years but after struggling, saw his stock plummet to the point that he was forced to go overseas and play baseball just so he didn’t have to sit the bench on a MLB team.

Fortunately, Casey’s trip was just what the doctor ordered and after a strong season in Japan, he returned stateside to play pretty well. The best thing I can say about McGehee was that he exceeded expectations, and while they may have been pretty low to start, he will have his work cut out for him next year to accomplish similar goals.

This won’t be the end of the awards for the Marlins this offseason, and we will keep you posted on any new ones that Miami players are able to obtain.