Giancarlo Stanton Hits 59th HR vs. Braves; Most in MLB Since 2001

Miami Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton hit his 58th and 59th home runs Thursday against the Atlanta Braves, the most since Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds in 2001. 

Stanton went deep off Julio Teheran in the fourth inning and took Rex Brothers deep in the eighth. The Marlins slugger is just the sixth player in MLB history to hit at least 59 homers in a season, joining Sosa, Bonds, Mark McGwire, Babe Ruth and Roger Maris.

Bonds set the all-time home run record with 73 in 2001. Sosa hit 64 homers. They are the last players to hit 60 in a season, though both did so under the suspicion of performance-enhancing drug use. No player has hit 59 without the suspicion of drug use since Maris' 61 in 1961. 

Stanton, who has never tested positive for any PEDs, said in August he still considers 61 to be the home run record.

"You grow up watching [the movie The Sandlot]," Stanton said, per Dave Hyde of the Sun Sentinel. "You grow up watching those films of Babe Ruth and [Mickey] Mantle and these guys and 61 always been that printed number as a kid."

The Marlins have three games remaining in the regular season, so Stanton could wind up setting his own personal record for home runs.