Giancarlo Stanton

Giancarlo Cruz-Michael Stanton (born November 8, 1989), formerly known as Mike Stanton, is an American professional baseball designated hitter and outfielder for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB).

He graduated from Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, before the Marlins selected him in the second round of the 2007 MLB draft.

The Florida Marlins selected Stanton in the second round, with the 76th overall selection, in the 2007 MLB draft.

Rather than enroll in college, Stanton signed with the Marlins, receiving a $475,000 signing bonus.

Stanton began his professional career for the Gulf Coast League Marlins of the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League, but quickly advanced to the Jamestown Jammers of the Class A-Short Season New York–Penn League.

After playing nine games for the Jammers, where he batted .067 on 2-for-30 hitting, he was promoted to the Greensboro Grasshoppers of the Class A South Atlantic League.

With Greensboro, Stanton hit 39 home runs, on a .293 batting average with 97 RBIs and a .993 OPS.

He won numerous post-season awards for his performance in the 2008 minor league season, and was placed at number 16 on Baseball America's top 100 prospects list.

Stanton received an invitation to the 2009 Marlins' spring training.

Stanton began the 2009 season with the Jupiter Hammerheads of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League, where he batted .294 with 12 home runs and 39 RBIs.

This performance led to a promotion to the Jacksonville Suns of the Class AA Southern League.

He was selected for the All-Star Futures Game.

In the off-season, he was sent to the Arizona Fall League, for top MLB prospects.

Before going down with an injury, he led the league with a .478 batting average.

Baseball America declared him the number one prospect in the Marlins system, as well as being number 3 on John Manuel's of Baseball America, top 20 prospects in the minors.

He made his MLB debut in 2010 as a member of the then-Florida Marlins, with whom he played until the end of the 2017 season.

In 52 games with the Suns in 2010, Stanton batted .311 with 21 home runs, 52 RBIs and a 1.167 OPS.

He struck out just nine more times than he walked (44).

After a series against the Mississippi Braves in early May, Mississippi manager Phil Wellman told The Florida Times Union: "He looks like a 15-year-old playing on an 8-year-old's Little League team."

On May 6, 2010, Stanton hit a home run against the Montgomery Biscuits that cleared the scoreboard in center field and traveled an estimated 500 to 550 ft.

On June 6, 2010, the Florida Marlins announced that Stanton would be called up to MLB, making his MLB debut on June 8.

At 20 years, 212 days, he became the third youngest player in Marlins history, behind Édgar Rentería (19 years, 276 days) and Miguel Cabrera (20 years, 67 days).

Stanton went 3-for-5 with two infield singles and scored twice in the debut.

In November 2014, the Marlins signed Stanton to the richest total dollar value contract in team sports history at the time of the signing; the contract is worth $325 million over 13 years.

Stanton has twice led the National League (NL) in home runs; he hit 59 home runs in 2017, the most in 16 years.

Known for his prodigious physical strength and ability to regularly hit long home runs, Stanton stands 6 ft tall and weighs 245 lb. He bats and throws right-handed.

Stanton is originally from the Greater Los Angeles region.

In 2017, Stanton led MLB in home runs (59), runs batted in (RBIs) (132), and slugging percentage (.631), winning the National League Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award.

A five-time MLB All-Star, Stanton has twice won both the NL Hank Aaron Award and outfield Silver Slugger Award after leading the league in home runs.

Following the 2017 season, Stanton was traded to the New York Yankees.

Stanton is mostly of Irish, African-American and Puerto Rican descent.

His maternal great-great-grandmother was Puerto Rican.

His parents, Mike Stanton and Jacinta Garay, have been divorced since Stanton was eight years old.

He has a brother, Egidio "E.G."

Carlos Moacir Garay, and a sister, Kyrice Valivia Stanton.

He was raised in the Tujunga area of Los Angeles, and grew up a Los Angeles Dodgers fan.

Stanton attended Verdugo Hills High School in Tujunga for two years.

He transferred to Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks where he was a three-sport athlete.

In addition to baseball and basketball, Stanton played wide receiver and cornerback for the football team.

He had accepted a scholarship to play baseball for Tulane, and received offers from UCLA, UNLV and USC to play football.