Paul Goldschmidt Is the Likely 2019 NL MVP: Here’s What You Need to Know
The 2019 season will likely be the year that Paul Goldschmidt takes home the National League MVP trophy.
It may be difficult to make MVP predictions before the regular season has even started, but based on Goldschmidt’s consistent performance as a batter and fielder, it is probable that the 6 time Allstar’s 2019 season will be his year to win the award. Goldschmidt has already been a candidate for the NL MVP Award multiple times, finishing in the top three of voting three different times.
Coming back from a slump early in the 2018 season, Goldschmidt finished with 33 home runs, 83 RBIs, a batting average of .290 and a slugging percentage of .533. This level of performance has been consistent from the 4 time Silver Slugger for several years and shows no signs of slowing down.
Last season, the Diamondbacks would have unlikely even made it to the NL West race without Goldschmidt’s huge contributions. Ending the season with a WPA of 4.58 (the highest in the National League for a position player), Goldschmidt has shown that he will be a valuable asset to any franchise that he is a part of. After being traded to the Cardinal’s at the end of the 2018 season, Goldschmidt’s new team is relying on him to help them get to the postseason this year, which they haven’t done since 2015.
Along with being a powerhouse at the plate, Goldschmidt has also proven himself as a performance fielder as well with three Golden Glove awards as a first baseman. During the 2017 season when he received the award for the third time, Goldschmidt had a .997 fielding percentage in 151 games. His all-around performance not only makes him a great asset to the Cardinals, but the top candidate to win the National League MVP award for the 2019 season.
