It’s already late June, yet St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt isn’t showing any signs of slowing down.
At 34 years old, he is having quite likely the best season of his career so far.
“Goldy” is hitting .339/.417/.614 with 16 home runs, 48 runs scored, and 58 RBI.
He is projected to come close to his career-high in RBI, with 125, and has been a consistent source of offense all year long.
He has been one of the reasons, perhaps the most important one, why the Cardinals are fighting with the Milwaukee Brewers for the NL Central’s top spot.
“Oh look, another award for Goldy!,” the Cardinals Twitter account jokingly wrote.
Oh look, another award for Goldy! pic.twitter.com/Tmlb3IZtSr
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) June 21, 2022
That award is the National League Player of the Week.
Goldschmidt Has Been Carrying The Cardinals
Goldschmidt won by virtue of hitting four homers, driving in 11 runs, and posting an impressive 1.482 OPS.
All those numbers led the National League during the week.
Now that Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts suffered a cracked rib, and San Diego Padres slugger Manny Machado is nursing a sprained ankle, Goldschmidt may be the favorite to win the NL MVP award if he keeps this up.
No one wants rivals to go down with injuries and that situation directly affecting an award race, but it may very well end up being the case if they don’t return quickly enough.
Goldschmidt hasn’t stopped hitting since he arrived in St. Louis in 2019, completing a pair of 30+ homer seasons in 2019 and 2021.
He seems well on his way to that benchmark yet again, and may very well push for 40 for the first time in his career.
He has been carrying the Redbirds all year long, and deserves a long look as the early-season MVP in the NL.
NEXT: Latest MVP Odds Reveal Paul Goldschmidt Can Gain Serious Ground