Miami Marlins Morning Catch: Could Stanton hit 70 in 2016?

Good morning, Marlin Maniac readers and welcome to Morning Catch, the daily morning news and notes column from MarlinManiac.com about your Miami Marlins.

What?! 70 homers?! No way….

Yes, 70 sounds absurd, but it’s not out of the realm for Miami’s offensive star. Let me explain.

When word came out today that the Marlins would be open to moving in the fences at Marlins Park, Giancarlo Stanton may have easily become the most pleased DL’d player in all of baseball.

ICYMI: Fences Moving in for 2016?

In 2015, Stanton has played in 74 games, knocking 27 homers. At that rate, Giancarlo would be on pace for hitting 59 homers in an 162 game season. Would 11 more homers be so out of play?

Well, yes, if the fences remained at their current distances. It’d be possible, but incredibly unlikely.

But, now that rumors of Marlins Park fences moving in, the 70 homer plateau has suddenly become a realistic possibility. In Stanton’s three years at Marlins Park, his isolated power has increased by year. This year, his career high, his ISO is at .341.

Naturally, one would expect Stanton to improve. But even if he keeps at the pace of his 2015 campaign, an adjustment of the fences would enable him to hit 70+ homers. Let’s check out his spray chart up to this point.

Source:

FanGraphs

According to this map, at least five of Stanton’s fly ball outs would count as homers if the fences were moved in even just 10 feet. Add those in an 162 game season with his current rate and Stanton surpasses 70 homers.

It’s more possible than you’d think, and certainly a prediction that has a chance to come true. Stanton may make history in 2016.

Every Stanton Homer of 2015 in 1 minute (Video)

From Around the Web:

The Marlins are Having Their Worst Season Ever — Ryan Yousefi, Miami New Times

As we near the three-quarter mark of the baseball marathon, there’s a fair argument to be made that the Miami Marlins are having their worst season ever, which is really saying something with a franchise that once endured a 108-loss season.

So what went wrong in 2015? That’s a complicated question, because, you see, just so many things have blown up in the Fish’s face. Asking what happened to this Marlins season is like running up to a man who was just hit by a bus and asking him, “Hey, guy, are you all right?! What hurts?!” Well, everything. Literally everything hurts, and Marlins fans are in the familiar position of just waiting for another season to die. (Read More Here)

Miami Marlins Manager Dan Jennings is Thankful There’s No Prohibition in Baseball — Thomas Carannante, HHGN

A report surfaced over the weekend that Miami Marlins’ manager Dan Jennings is likely to return to the front office after the 2015 MLB season. If that’s the case, he’s most likely relieved because now he can lay off the bottle.

The Marlins (44-68) have lost eight of their last 10 games to become the worst team in the MLB, falling below the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies. Jennings has the worst winning percentage of any manager in franchise history that has been with the team for at least 60 games. (Read More Here)

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