This is exactly what the Miami Marlins envisioned for Giancarlo Stanton: when they drafted him in the second round as a 17-year-old; when they promoted him to the majors as one of baseball’s top prospects; and when they signed him to the richest contract in U.S. sports history. On Thursday night, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) named Stanton the 2017 NL MVP Award winner over fellow finalists Joey Votto and Paul Goldschmidt.
He becomes the first player in franchise history to receive this honor, finally getting over the hump after finishing runner-up to Clayton Kershaw in 2014.