Giancarlo Stanton is poised to inherit the title as Major League Baseball's next great power hitter. The 24 year old will begin only his fifth year in the league when Miami opens up the season against Colorado on March 31, yet he has already displayed a power in his bat that few people can match. Stanton hit 117 home runs through the first four seasons of his career-the 10th most in MLB history for any player under the age of 24-and contract-wise he is a steal for the Marlins as he made $537,000 last season.

Miami's right fielder still needs to improve before he can take the next step into "elite" status, and he has been injury prone during the beginning of his MLB career. Stanton, of course, is one of the favorites to win this season's home run crown and may be one of the most exciting players in the majors. Let's take a closer look at Stanton's MLB home run crown futures odds with picks, predictions and analysis.

Giancarlo Stanton 2014 MLB Home Run Crown Story Lines

Stanton has been a power hitter for Miami since the first day he stepped on the field, and his 117 home runs over four seasons set him in an elite class. The young player also produced a .535 slugging percentage through the beginning of his career, which is the 11th-best mark of any player with 2,000-plus at bats before the age of 23. By all accounts, Stanton is set to become a huge star for the Marlins; the only thing that could stop him is injures.

Stanton has already missed 101 of 590 career games, and outside of his second year with the Marlins in which he played 150 games he has not suited up more than 123 times in a season. The right fielder has dealt with a myriad of injuries, including shoulder, foot, hamstring, oblique and knee issues over the last four years. Another issue that could hamper Stanton's production is the lack of quality pitches he will see on a regular basis. The slugger bats at the heart-of-the-lineup and plays on a sub-par team, which could cause pitchers to gamble with balls on the outside of the plate.

Miami is expected to have another poor year on the diamond as the team currently has the third-worst World Series odds (+12500) in baseball and the absolute worst NL East Division odds (+4000). However, playing on a bad team might lead Stanton to focus on his stats and start chasing numbers, and in baseball, winning the home run crown is one of the biggest accomplishments around-aside from actually winning a World Series ring or MVP award.

Giancarlo Stanton 2014 MLB Home Run Crown Betting Odds and Key Stats

Stanton is currently receiving +800 odds at Sportsbook.ag and is right near the top of the home run futures odds. Last season he belted 24 home runs with 62 RBIs and 106 hits over 425 at bats. Stanton missed a whopping 46 games in 2013 and has played an average of 122 games per season over his first four years in the league. The right fielder also hit .249 and was walked 74 times.

In 2012 Stanton hit 37 home runs, drove in 86 RBIs and hat 130 hits in 449 at bats over 123 games played. In his two other seasons in the majors, Stanton hit 34 and 22 home runs with 87 and 59 RBIs.

Giancarlo Stanton 2014 MLB Home Run Crown Picks and Predictions

The biggest question surrounding Stanton this season will be his ability to stay healthy. We already know he can hit the ball out of the park with the best of them. The slugger's numbers declined from 2012 to 2013 as he missed six weeks because of a hamstring injury. With the issues surrounding Miami's budding star, wagering on him at +800 might not have the most value. If Stanton were receiving +1200 or so, the odds would be far more attractive. It might be best to take a wait-and-see approach with the wager.

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