In 2010, the Miami Marlins picked up the now 28-year-old California native, and he quickly accumulated an impressive list of accolades. The outfielder racked up four MLB All-Star appearances and was named the National League MVP in 2017. That same year, he led the NL in home runs (hitting 59, the most in 16 years), RBIs, and slugging percentage. In 2014, the Marlins resigned Stanton to the most lavish contract in MLB history— $325 million over 13 years.
Turns out, though, that Miami’s eyes were bigger than its wallet. To shed the enormous salary from its payroll, Miami traded Stanton in 2017, and he eventually ended up on the New York Yankees. He’s not complaining. “I was so excited,” Stanton tells M&F about becoming a Yankee. “[Putting on that jersey], I felt like a kid.” To top it off, the 6’6″, 245-pound slugger hit two homers in his Yankee debut.
But all this success isn’t without its sacrifices. Stanton—who is widely regarded as one of the strongest players in Major League Baseball—works tirelessly and meticulously in the gym to hone his power.
“A lot of my training is built around explosive work for my bat speed and overall strength,” he says. His favorites for building ball-busting torque are sled pushes and sledgehammer swings. Peruse his Instagram (@giancarlo818), and you’ll also see plenty of unique workouts—Stanton holding two dumbbells and pushing a sled, loaded with one of his buddies, backward up a hill; or ripping out sets on the ski erg and hammer curling 90-pound dumbbells. When it comes to pure strength, though, Stanton still relies on the tried-and-true basics. “I throw in traditional movements like squats and dumbbell presses,” he says. “I still enjoy the old-school lifts.”
To keep his body fresh and ready for the 162-game season, Stanton places a premium on recovery—something he wishes he had emphasized sooner.
“If I could go back and give my younger self a piece of advice,” Stanton says, “it’d be to take your recovery as seriously as your training.” In addition to partaking in all the post-workout accoutrements that are commonplace in professional sports—ice baths, stretching, bouts in the sauna, and simple active recovery like walking and low-intensity cycling—Stanton also relies on quality nutrition.
For his other meals, Stanton eats all the typical health foods that you’d expect of an elite athlete, but he leans toward a lower-carb, high-fat approach and has the physique to show for it.
“Avocados and eggs are staples right now for breakfast,” he says. “I’m loving the healthy fats, and I don’t feel weighed down at all. It’s a great way to start the day.”
Hard work pays off. As of this writing, Stanton—whose mere presence on the mound intimidates pitchers—is projected by ZiPS to smash 55 homers and collect more than 130 RBIs. Afterward, you can expect the stud competitor to kick back and live it up with his favorite pig-out meal: “Tacos. No question.”
