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The St. Louis Cardinals have been carried this season by first baseman Paul Goldschmidt.
The former Arizona Diamondback is having the best season of his career.
Goldschmidt leads the National League in OBP, SLG, and OPS to go along with 307 total bases.
The 35-year-old even has a shot at the Triple Crown this season.
He currently ranks second in batting average, tied for third in home runs, and second in RBI.
These final few weeks could be historic for the slugger as he chases history.
Having productive seasons like this is nothing new to Goldschmidt.
He already has three top-three MVP finishes in his career including being the runner-up in 2013 and 2015.
Goldy has shown no signs of slowing down and he has helped the Cardinals take a commanding lead in the NL Central.
The seven-time All-Star is looking to set career highs in batting average and home runs this season.
He is one of three players in baseball with an OPS over 1.000 and his WAR of 7.5 is tops in the NL.
Among qualified hitters there are just 2 hitters that ranked top 10 in OPS in both the 1st half and 2nd half of the season (so far)#Yankees Aaron Judge
1st Half: .983 (3rd)
2nd Half: 1.318 (1st)#Cardinals Paul Goldschmidt
1st Half: 1.004 (2nd)
2nd Half: 1.084 (2nd) pic.twitter.com/8ADAVYik43— Mike Kurland (@Mike_Kurland) September 9, 2022
Goldschmidt continues to play a great defensive first base and he is reliable.
While he does get some games off here and there you can write him in for 150+ games played every season.
The best ability is availability and Goldschmidt has no problem being out there.
The one thing Goldy has not accomplished in his storied career is postseason success.
Playing in Arizona for eight seasons he did not get much of a chance in the playoffs.
But, now the Cardinals have a good shot to make a run this postseason.
Cardinals’ World Series Aspirations
St. Louis currently leads the Brewers by 7.5 games in the NL Central thanks to an 84-60 record.
Heading into the playoffs the Cardinals should be one of the most experienced teams playing in October thanks to veteran leadership.
Adam Wainwright, Yadier Molina, and Albert Pujols present a unique trio of former World Series champions at the back end of their career.
But, the key contributors on their teams will be led by Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado.
National League WAR Leaders
1) Paul Goldschmidt (STL) – 7.5
2) Nolan Arenado (STL) – 7.3
3) Mookie Betts (LAD) – 6.2
4) Tommy Edman (STL) – 6.1
5) Austin Riley (ATL) – 5.7 pic.twitter.com/IYaQISdg4S— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) September 9, 2022
Arenado might be the best defensive third baseman in the MLB and he has continued his elite production this year.
His .298 average with 29 home runs and 96 RBI are par for the course for the seven-time All-Star.
This is one of the best players in baseball and he will not win the MVP award only because of the play of Goldschmidt.
Having two MVP candidates on one team gives the Cardinals a huge advantage at the plate.
But, will their pitching be able to keep up?
For the season the Cardinals have a 3.84 team ERA which is fourth in the NL.
Wainwright and Miles Mikolas have been the two best starters on the team.
But after that, it is a guessing game about what each starter can give you.
Jordan Montgomery has been one of their best starters of late so his continued success will be crucial.
At the end of the day, this team will go as far as their hitters can take them.
Goldschmidt has had a historic season and would love to finish it off with a World Series championship.
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- Dodgers make series of moves involving notable players
- The 'No. 1 overall pick in the MLB Draft' quiz
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