Giancarlo Stanton blasts 300th career home run

Giancarlo Stanton awoke from a brief power slump on Thursday night with a two-run home run in the bottom of the third inning. The opposite-field blast against Francisco Liriano put the Yankees ahead.

Why should you care? It happened to be his 300th major league home run.

Though Stanton reaches the milestone in pinstripes, his first 267 round-trippers happened before December’s blockbuster trade. He is—now and forever—a critical figure in Marlins history. This is a moment to pause and celebrate his extraordinary career thus far.

I limited this collection of highlights to 126 Stanton dingers (many of them not included in his career total). Enjoy.

Both of these grand slams were special. The clips below offer a reminder of how clutch Rich Waltz was with his play-by-play calls and the electric atmosphere inside Marlins Park early on in that inaugural 2012 season.

Stanton was indirectly responsible for the most famous Marlins reaction shot of all time. A rookie José Fernández went absolutely nuts in the dugout after this booming homer to left-center.

The Southern California native always seemed motivated to perform at his best during trips to Dodger Stadium. The ballpark has been around for generations, but even those who have lived through it all could hardly believe where this ball landed.

A Marlins franchise record that might never be seriously challenged: 59 home runs in single season. Stanton was the clear choice for 2017 NL MVP despite a mediocre supporting cast.

He hit No. 50 with more than a month to spare, and chose a huge moment for it.

Got some time on your hands? Soak in every tape-measure shot from G’s dominant Home Run Derby victory in San Diego.

And finally, Stanton takes tremendous pride in representing his country. Contributing to the Team USA World Baseball Classic title probably meant as much to him as any MLB feat.

Yes, trading Stanton when they did cost the Marlins an opportunity to promote the build-up to No. 300 (and No. 400, No. 500, etc.). Many fans understandably would prefer to watch this freak of nature on a daily basis over, say, Rafael Ortega. But all things considered, this was the best possible resolution to a tricky situation.

Stanton has regressed from his 2017 form, slashing .275/.349/.517 through 132 games as a Yankee prior to Thursday. Impressive, but not spectacular. He is dealing with injuries again—a tender hamstring has made him unfit to field his position for much of August. Without the American League’s designated hitter rule, it would’ve required a stint on the disabled list.

Last offseason was the only window that the franchise had to get out from underneath Stanton’s gargantuan contract. Acquisitions Starlin Castro and Jose Devers are both exceeding pre-trade expectations, while Jorge Guzman remains one of the farm system’s most intriguing pitchers.

Perhaps this will prove to be the rare blockbuster where everybody wins.