Washington Nationals – 12/1 Odds to win the World Series: Starting First Baseman- Ryan Zimmerman
The current distance in skill between these two players is innumerable. Goldschmidt destroys Zimmerman in every category. Goldschmidt played in 64 more games, had 305 more plate appearances, 221 more at bats, scored 60 more runs, had 96 more hits, 13 more doubles, 17 more HR’s, 37 more RBI’s, 20 more stolen bases, and his batting average was 72 points higher than Zimmerman’s.
However, the two stats that show the real separation between these two players would be walks and WAR. Goldschmidt had 85 more walks than Zimmerman, and his WAR was 6.8 points higher.To put this into perspective, Goldschmidt had the fourth highest WAR in the MLB. Zimmerman’s 0.6 was good for 8th on his own team.
If Goldschmidt was put on the Nationals today, he could slot in at either 3 or 4 in the lineup and immediately be the best 1-2 punch in the league when combined with Bryce Harper. This pairing alone would certainly increase the likelihood of the Nationals winning the World Series, or at least advancing far in the playoffs.
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