National League MVP Candidates on Possible Last Place Teams
By Tim Boyle
Paul Goldschmidt
Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt enters the 2017 season with four consecutive All-Star selections. While he has yet to win the National League MVP, Goldschmidt already has two runner-up selections. These came in 2013 and 2015 when he settled for a Silver Slugger and Gold Glove Award.
It remains quite unclear where the Diamondbacks will finish in the standings. After the disaster that was 2016, they could fall just about anywhere in the National League West. Thankfully for Goldschmidt, much of their dismay is based on how poorly the pitching has performed. Goldschmidt will get plenty of help from the offense as Arizona looks loaded with positional talent. This should boost his numbers, especially with A.J. Pollock back for a full year.
In many regards, Goldschmidt is the right-handed version of Votto. He also has good power and a great eye. He already has a home run title which he won in 2013 with 36 bombs. Last season, he led the league with 110 walks. For those MVP voters who value OBP, Goldschmidt should get some extra consideration regardless of how his team does.