Giancarlo Stanton shows off his glove and arm with ridiculous double play

When the Miami Marlins signed outfielder Giancarlo Stanton to a record-setting $325 million contract this offseason, they did so with visions of tape measure home runs and 100-plus RBI seasons, not diving catches or game-changing throws.

But let’s not overlook a couple important facts here. First and foremost, Stanton is more than capable of impacting the game defensively. He’s not afraid to sacrifice his body if it means bettering his chance to make a great play. It might not be the most comforting sight for the Marlins or their fans, but he’s definitely not afraid.

Also, he packs a very powerful right arm, which the National League apparently still hasn’t caught on to just yet.

His fearlessness and that strong right arm were both on display on Wednesday night. In fact, both were on display on the same play, when Stanton ranged to his right to take extra bases and a sure RBI away from Atlanta’s Freddie Freeman. Stanton then quickly regained his bearings and came up firing to first base to double off Nick Markakis, who like most people in the ballpark felt the ball was ticketed for the right-center field gap.

The catch earned Stanton a standing ovation. It loomed large throughout most of the game as well, as the Braves and Marlins remained scoreless into the seveth inning. However, the Braves would ultimately complete the three-game series sweep with a 2-0 victory. A.J. Pierzynski was the hero with a seventh-inning two-run homer off Tom Koehler.

At the plate, Stanton was 0-for-3 with three strikeouts and a walk. He didn’t have the impact on the game you’d expect, but he at least gave his team a fighting chance with his defense.

The season isn’t very old, but one could easily argue it’s the play of the season so far. Going beyond that though, it’s just amazing watching a 6-foot-6, 240-pound human being with that type of athleticism.

Giancarlo Stanton, you are ridiculous.

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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813

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