Giancarlo Stanton is now four homers away from 60

With each swing of Giancarlo Stanton’s bat, baseball fans wonder: Will baseball’s illustrious 60-homer club get another member?

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Stanton got one home run closer on Wednesday, blasting his 56th homer of the season for the Miami Marlins in their 9-2 win over the New York Mets. Stanton has 60 well within his sights with 10 games to play.

No. 56 was a line-drive shot that didn’t get the normal elevation and distance we see from Stanton. It only traveled 399 feet per Statcast. But it left the yard at 117 mph, which is still impressive as it ranks among the top-25 hardest hit balls this season.

Also impressive? Stanton’s 56 homers are the most in recent history. Ryan Howard hit 58 in 2006. A-Rod hit 57 in 2002. The real number being chased, though, is 60. Only Babe Ruth, Roger Maris, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds have hit 60 in a season.

Even though the single-season record of 73 seems out of reach for Stanton, hitting 60 or 61 would equal two famous former records. And in 10 games? He could do it. He hit 18 homers in August, which included a 10-game stretch of nine homers. He’s now hit two in his last three games after a slow start to September where he hit three in 15 games.

The Marlins might be nearing mathematical elimination from the postseason (one more loss does it) but there’s still something to watch in Miami the final two weeks of the season.

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Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at mikeozstew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz

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