Giancarlo Stanton may not break the Major League record of 73 home runs in a single season, set by Barry Bonds, but thanks to a recent hot streak, the Marlins slugger is now on pace to catch a more iconic home run number – 61.
Stanton hit another home run on Tuesday, his 51st of the season in the Marlins’ 131st game, and his 29th in his last 47 games. Even if Stanton cools off a tad, he is still going to surpass Roger Maris.
While Maris’ 61 home runs in 1961 is no longer the official MLB record, it is still held in high regard by many as the top home-run season outside of the steroid era. Through 131 games in 1961, Maris had, you guessed it, 51 home runs.