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St. Louis Cardinals’ Paul Goldschmidt named NL Outstanding Player

Josh Jacobs
Josh Jacobs

Redbird Rants

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 25: Paul Goldschmidt #46 of the St. Louis Cardinals at bat against the Chicago Cubs during the eighth inning at Wrigley Field on August 25, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

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.

Josh Jacobs

Josh Jacobs

Josh Jacobs has been the Site Expert for Redbird Rants since October 2022. Josh began writing for FanSided in December 2021 and has also held roles as a Contributor for Redbird Rants and was formerly the Site Expert for Rays Colored Glasses. Josh is a huge St. Louis Cardinals fan and is passionate about providing thoughtful coverage and for Cardinals Nation. Josh’s experience includes covering Cardinals’ events like Winter Warm-Up, building relationships with Cardinals players, prospects, and employees, and guest appearances on local radio and podcasts. Josh is also the host of the Dealin’ the Cards podcast and co-host of “Philosophical Differences” with KMOV’s Brenden Schaeffer. You can find Josh on Twitter @joshjaco98 for even more opinions and coverage of the team.