Paul Goldschmidt certainly had a season to remember.
The St. Louis Cardinals slugger was the starting first baseman on the National League All-Star squad this past July and put up some MVP-caliber numbers.
Goldschmidt hit .317 with 35 homers, 115 RBI, and an OPS of .982.
It’s safe to say that Goldschmidt will in fact be in the conversation for the NL MVP Award and could be joined by his teammate in Nolan Arenado on that list.
But he also finds himself in the conversation for the Player of the Year Award alongside Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge.
This is a player’s choice award.
The winner will be announced during the offseason.
Player of the Year finalists:
Judge
Ohtani
GoldschmidtExclusive company for #stlcards 1B. https://t.co/XtPHZUqipv
— Derrick Goold (@dgoold) October 27, 2022
Goldy A Finalist For POY
While many believe Judge will win this award in a landslide, it’s worth noting what Goldschmidt was able to do this season.
Goldschmidt was on fire from May, all the way to the end of the season.
It’s also worth considering his defensive prowess.
He was one of five Cardinals to win Gold Gloves last season and is one of four Cardinals nominees this season.
He is also a Silver Slugger candidate.
Goldschmidt was one of the main reasons that the Cardinals saw such a vast improvement in their offensive numbers this season.
He and Arenado were carrying the offense for much of the season.
The Cardinals knew they were getting the full package when they acquired Goldschmidt from the Arizona Diamondbacks back in 2018, and he has given them everything they have needed.
He may not beat out Judge or Ohtani for this award, but he should at least garner some consideration.
NEXT: The Cardinals Have A Long List Of Silver Slugger Finalists