Five St. Louis Cardinals related things to be thankful for this year

ST. LOUIS, MO - OCTOBER 02: Yadier Molina #4, Adam Wainwright #50 and Albert Pujols #5 of the St. Louis Cardinals leave the game during the fifth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium on October 2, 2022 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Scott Kane/Getty Images)
ST. LOUIS, MO - OCTOBER 02: Yadier Molina #4, Adam Wainwright #50 and Albert Pujols #5 of the St. Louis Cardinals leave the game during the fifth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium on October 2, 2022 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Scott Kane/Getty Images) /
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Sep 3, 2022; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (46) celebrates with teammates after hitting a two run home run against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 3, 2022; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (46) celebrates with teammates after hitting a two run home run against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /

Most Valuable Player, Paul Goldschmidt

Man. What an absolute thrill of a year it was with Paul Goldschmidt. Very early on, it seemed like a real possibility that Goldschmidt would be the National League Most Valuable player, and then he locked up the award over the summer months.

It’s ironic that in the same year that Albert Pujols returned to the club, Goldschmidt gave the team the single best season they have had from a player since The Machine’s prime. Goldschmidt was acquired from Arizona a few years ago to be the the new anchor of the St. Louis lineup, and it all came together for a magical season in 2022.

The 35-year old slashed .317/.404/.578 with 35 HR and 115 RBI, and for most of the season, you expected Goldschmidt to do something incredible every single time he came to the plate. His season did not end the way anyone would have hoped, but that can’t take away from the way he carried this club the whole year.

On top of all of that, the club had another top 3 MVP candidate in third baseman Nolan Arenado. Cardinals fans have two future Hall of Famers on their roster for years to come, just as the club said goodbye to two first ballot legends.