The Captain's Blog

Giancarlo Stanton is a rising young star, but among his teammates in Miami, the right fielder is a man among boys. The disparity between Stanton and his mates is so great that some have suggested the slugger could out homer the rest of the Marlins’ offense. That might sound like an exaggeration, but in 2012, Stanton belted three more homers than the other eight members of the Marlins’ projected Opening Day lineup combined.  So, if the All Star isn’t pitched around in every at bat, he just might lap the field in Miami.

OK, fine. The Marlins probably won’t be that bad. Even though the lineup will be lacking for power, it would take an unprecedented effort (or lack thereof) from the team’s offense to thrust Stanton onto such a pedestal. After all, since 1901 (and including the Federal League), only 15 players have accounted for more than 50% of their team’s home run total, and none have done it since outfielder Stan Spence hit 18 of the Senators’ 33 homers in 1944.

Players Who Out Homered Their Teammates, Since 1901

Source: fangraphs.com and baseball-reference.com

It’s no surprise to see Babe Ruth’s name listed prominently among players who have out homered their teammates. In 1918, Ruth’s 11 homers accounted for 73% of the Red Sox output and bested the total hit by five different teams. However, the following year is when the Bambino really distinguished himself. With 29 homers in 1919, Ruth not only contributed a whopping 88% of Boston’s home run count, but he also hit more long balls than 10 other major league teams.

Wally Berger is the only other slugger to out homer his teammates on two occasions. In 1930 and 1931, the center fielder was the main power source in the Boston Braves lineup, which he out homered by 10 and 4, respectively, the former being the second largest differential in baseball history. By percentage, the only other hitters to reach the 60% level were a trio of dead ball sluggers whose modest totals compared favorably to the deflated home run environment of the era. In particular, Shad Barry was able to brag about belting 60% of the Phillies’ home run total in 1902 despite only hitting three all season.

Even Jeffrey Loria’s worst efforts probably aren’t capable of setting home runs back 70 years. Still, Stanton has a good chance to tally one of the highest percentages of homers relative to his team in recent history. Since the beginning of the expansion era in 1961, Mike Schmidt’s 1981 season came closest to outclassing his teammates. With nearly 45% of the Phillies’ homers that year, the future Hall of Famer accounted for the bulk of Philadelphia’s power, something he did quite often during his career.

Top-10 Players with Largest Percentage of Team Home Runs, Since 1961 

Source: fangraphs.com and baseball-reference.com

Will Stanton’s prolific power and the Marlins’ otherwise weak lineup combine to make history? Unfortunately for baseball fans in south Florida, that might be one of the few compelling reasons to watch the Marlins this year. Then again, considering the franchise’s fondness for dumping players, there’s no guarantee Stanton will even last the year in Miami.