It was a special night for Giancarlo Stanton in Los Angeles.
The Yankees star helped the American League secure its ninth consecutive All-Star Game win on Tuesday in a 3–2 defeat of the National League at Dodger Stadium, earning the Ted Williams MLB All-Star Game MVP award.
Stanton, who was playing in his fifth career All-Star game but first since 2017, became the third Yankees player to win All-Star MVP, joining Derek Jeter in 2000 and Mariano Rivera in 2013.
Stanton went 1-for-2 in the game that included him blasting a 457-foot, two-run shot deep to left center field in the fourth inning that was the hardest-hit home run in an All-Star Game tracked by Statcast (since 2015). The home run also ended Stanton’s 0-for-7 track record at the plate in All-Star games.
The moment was made even greater for Stanton because of his status as a hometown hero. Stanton, a Los Angeles native, grew up going to Dodgers games with his father, Mike, and was three-sport athlete—football, basketball and baseball—at Notre Dame High School in the greater Los Angeles area.
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“My pops took me to my first Dodger game, showed me how to have love for this game and now we’re here,” Stanton said on the field after the game. “Look at us, it’s just incredible.”
Two-time MVP Steve Harvey and tennis legend Billie Jean King, part of the Dodgers’ ownership, awarded the bat to Stanton on the field.
Stanton fully embraced the moment in a place that felt like home to him.
“It hasn’t fully sank in,” Stanton said. “It’s going to be an amazing memory for all of our lives.”
Stanton’s career with the Yankees has had its ups and downs, which includes missing a good portion of the 2019 and 2020 seasons due to injury. But the slugger is batting .237 this season with 24 home runs, 61 RBI and a .835 OPS for the Yankees (64–28), who own the best record in baseball and will try to continue their success in the second half.
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