Why Stanton’s music video appearance is great for Major League Baseball

If you hadn’t heard, Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton recently appeared in a music video. It’s a big win for Major League Baseball.

The video would have likely gone completely unnoticed had it not been for the inclusion of Giancarlo Stanton. The Miami Marlins power-machine has seen a significant uptick in his celebrity lately. It comes as no surprise to see him in a music video.

It is drawing the ire of some for its racy content. The video is essentially a two-minute sex scene between the Marlins right-fielder and Lexy Panterra. Nothing is shown explicitly, but it’s enough to irk more conservative baseball fans.

But if you’re a bigwig at Major League Baseball, you’re hoping it’s a sign of things to come.

A league that has been starved for star power since the late-90’s, early-2000’s can’t afford to start deciding what kind of free press it’s going to get. It’s hard to argue that Giancarlo Stanton is the best baseball player in Major League Baseball. But he might be the most marketable.

Roles like this have usually gone to football players and basketball players; athletes in sports that are more popular with a younger audience. Giancarlo Stanton’s appearance marks a victory for baseball.

Have a look at the video:

I’ll leave it to you to decide the value of the music and the video itself. Ultimately, that’s not what matters. It’s about Stanton’s appearance in something completely unrelated to baseball.

This isn’t Mike Trout hitting baseball’s with his order into a Subway restaurant. It isn’t “Jose Altuve is everywhere”. It’s different. If you didn’t know any better, you’d have no idea he even played baseball. And that’s good for baseball.

Inroads to a younger demographic

Surprisingly, there has been no talk of disciplinary action stemming from his appearance in the video. Professional sports have desperately tried to cling to a squeaky clean image, and haven’t hesitated to hit players in their wallets if they step “out of bounds”.

Giancarlo’s foray into pop-culture shouldn’t be reprimanded, rather it should be encouraged. It could lead to similar opportunities for other players around the league. Major League Baseball stands to get free press aimed specifically at the demographic they’re desperately chasing.

For years, baseballs supreme athletes have failed to gain recognition outside of those in the know. This could signal a turning point in that narrative.

Next: Nail not in the Miami Marlins coffin yet

Say what you will about the artistic merits of the video itself, you’ll likely find few objections. But his appearance signals progress for Major League Baseball.

Baseball has been “your fathers sport” as long as I can remember. It was heading towards becoming “your grandfathers sport”. This is a step towards changing that, and getting a younger audience into the ballpark.