The 2022 MLB season is gifting us a very exciting race for the National League MVP award.
Not even half of the season has been completed, so any talks are premature, but it’s never too early for informal discussions about who deserves to be leading the race.
According to MLB insider Jon Heyman, there are five candidates above the rest.
“Goldy and Machado lead an interesting NL MVP race. Alonso, Betts, Harper not far off pace,” he tweeted.
Goldy and Machado lead an interesting NL MVP race. Alonso, Betts, Harper not far off pace. https://t.co/z5U0TyTOaW
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) June 16, 2022
Heyman sent his tweet quoting one from Danny Vietti, highlighting Goldschmidt’s last 30 games.
“Paul Goldschmidt’s last 30 games • .400 BA • 1.317 OPS • 13 HR • 40 RBI • 25 XBH • 46 hits • 30 runs • 17 BB • 260 wRC+ • .545 wOBA • 2.7 fWAR. He’s reached base in 29 of those 30 games. Cardinals have gone 19-11,” Vietti said.
Those are some incredible numbers.
The Case For Goldschmidt And Machado
In fact, if we go with wRC+ (weighted Runs Created Plus), which is an all-inclusive offensive stat to evaluate performance, Goldy should be the prime candidate.
His 199 wRC+ means he has produced 99 percent more than the average hitter, and that number leads both leagues.
The Cardinals first baseman is hitting .347/.430/.640 with 16 home runs: he has been a beast.
If we go with Wins Above Replacement, or WAR, then Machado, who has been the main reason the San Diego Padres have been so solid, should be considered the favorite.
Machado leads the National League with a 3.8 WAR output, while Goldschmidt has accumulated 3.6.
The season is still young, so all candidates can put together strong cases with good performance from here on out.
But while Bryce Harper, Mookie Betts, and Pete Alonso have played very well, Goldy and Machado look like the most logical candidates judging by the numbers they have been posting in 2022.
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