The St. Louis Cardinals are lucky to have one of, if not the best third baseman in all of baseball in slugger Nolan Arenado.
The slugger and defensive stalwart finished third in the race for the National League MVP behind Manny Machado and his Cardinals teammate Paul Goldschmidt, who ultimately took home the award.
Arenado hit .293 with 30 home runs and 103 RBI during the 2022 regular season and appears poised for yet another big season.
The 31-year-old has won a Gold Glove in each of his first 10 seasons and has also put together some elite numbers at the plate.
In fact, he and Atlanta Braves legend Eddie Mathews share some elite company, having both hit at least 290 home runs and driven in at least 950 runs in their first 10 seasons.
Players like Nolan Arenado don't come around very often. #Top100RightNow pic.twitter.com/3feEeKNj2t
— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) February 28, 2023
Arenado was acquired by the Cardinals from the Colorado Rockies before the 2021 season and since his arrival in St. Louis, he has been everything the Cardinals could have hoped for.
He has been a defensive standout at third base and has provided the proper protection for Goldschmidt in the Cards lineup.
Arenado has been an All-Star in each of his first two seasons in St. Louis and is looking to continue that trend.
He’s in some elite company for third basemen in MLB history with his powerful bat and the ability to drive in runs.
He, Goldschmidt, and the newly-signed Willson Contreras form a deadly trio in the middle of the Cardinals lineup.
After Goldschmidt’s MVP season, Arenado looks poised to break out for one of his own in 2023.
NEXT: Nolan Arenado Comments On Remaining In St. Louis
