St. Louis Cardinals’ Paul Goldschmidt named NL Outstanding Player

Cardinals slugger Paul Goldschmidt was named NL Outstanding Player

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt was named National League Outstanding Player by the Players Choice Awards on Saturday, cementing his status as the best player in the National League in 2022.

Goldschmidt edged out both Freddie Freeman and Austin Riley in the National League vote, and missed out on MLB’s Player of the Year to Aaron Judge, who broke the American League single-season home run record this season.

The award may not carry the same value as the league’s Most Valuable Player award, but it should confirm that Goldschmidt will end up walking away with that award as well here soon. Goldschmidt was outstanding in 2022, slashing .317/.404/.578 with 35 HR and 115 RBI. His numbers could have been even more mind-boggling if it was not for an ice-cold stretch in September and October.

It is easy to let recency bias get in the way of just how incredible the 35-year old was for St. Louis. Had it not been for Goldschmidt’s MVP performance all year, the Cardinals would not have been in the position they were come October, and the front office may not have even made the moves they did to win the division.

Goldschmidt will be a vital part of the Cardinals lineup next season alongside Nolan Arenado, and the club will be expecting him to produce once again. It’s unfair to expect Goldschmidt to be as good as he was in 2022 next season, but anywhere close to that production will go a long way for the reigning NL Central Champions.

Hopefully, Goldschmidt will be joined by some new faces in the lineup next season, through free agent acquisition, trades, and more emerging young talent from the Cardinals system. The Cardinals lineup in 2023 has potential to be even better, which could take the pressure off Goldschmidt and allow him to play freely once again.