Goldschmidt having MVP-type season once again for D-Backs
SCOTT BORDOW
Fireworks were going off at Chase Field, but inside the Diamondbacks clubhouse, Paul Goldschmidt was his usual laconic self.
He had just hit a three-run homer to propel the Diamondbacks past the Giants 4-3 on Friday. It was his 30th homer of the year and gave him 101 RBIs on the season, making him the first player in franchise history to record three seasons of at least 30 homers and 100 RBIs.
The feat was mentioned to Goldschmidt. He couldn’t have cared less.
“Honestly, my focus is not on any numbers or individual stuff,” he said. “We’re in the playoff race, so just trying to win the game and find a way to help us to win. That’s my focus.”
The answer wasn’t surprising. Goldschmidt hates talking about himself. Ask a question about a teammate, and he’ll provide a thoughtful and sometimes funny answer. Ask him about his numbers or his swing thoughts, and he’ll give the most banal of answers.
“He’s very quiet and very humble,” catcher Chris Iannetta said.
Those attributes – along with Arizona’s three straight losing seasons – have led to the perception both locally and nationally that Goldschmidt is under-appreciated, perhaps even forgotten when conversation turns to the game’s top players. Try ignoring him now. Goldschmidt is having an MVP-type season. He ranks in the top 10 in the National League in every significant offensive category except triples. He’s fifth in batting average, second in on-base percentage, seventh in slugging percentage, fifth in OPS, fourth in homers, third in walks, third in runs scored, etc.
He also is tied for seventh in stolen bases with 17, a number that puts his remarkable season in some perspective. Of the six players ahead of him in stolen bases, the best WAR (Wins Above Replacement) is 2.0. Goldschmidt is at 5.6, tied for fourth in the league. The best OPS is .760. Goldschmidt is at 1.016.
“He’s a great player,” Iannetta said. “Nothing against Arizona, but if he was on the East Coast he’d be getting a lot more recognition for what he does. He’s one of the best hitters in the game. He’s one of the best defenders in the game at first base. He does it all.”
Goldschmidt is having the same type of season he did in 2013 when he finished second in MVP voting after batting .302 with 36 homers, 125 RBIs and an OPS of .952.
He’s already eclipsed his RBI and home-run totals from last season.
Zack Greinke said Goldschmidt is as good as any player he’s seen, with the exception of the Angels’ Mike Trout.
“But that’s how everybody in baseball is,” Greinke said.
What makes Goldschmidt such a dangerous hitter, Greinke said, is his stubbornness at the plate.
“He doesn’t swing at your pitch much, so you maybe have an inch or two to work with in the strike zone,” Greinke said. “That’s hard to hit consistently. And he’s strong enough to do damage with just about anything.”
After Friday’s game, manager Torey Lovullo was asked what he’s learned about Goldschmidt since becoming the Diamondbacks’ manager. He paused for a few seconds.
“I don’t even know where to start,” he said. Then he couldn’t stop. “He’s just a remarkable human being. That’s where I’ll start,” Lovullo said. “You walk down the hall, security people, ushers, they feel the same way about him. You walk in the clubhouse, his teammates feel the same way about him.
“Now, I can get specific because I watch him perform and work every single day. I’m honored to be sitting in the same dugout as him. I still get giddy when he sits next to me and talks to me. I have to pinch myself and think, ‘That’s Paul Goldschmidt.’ I’m just honored to be around him. That’s how I feel.”
Lovullo believes Goldschmidt is underrated, but “inside the game every player knows Paul Goldschmidt, and I think nationally a lot of journalists are starting to recognize that he’s a pretty special player.”
Could that result in Goldschmidt’s first MVP award after finishing second in 2013 and ‘15? Or at least one firstplace vote, something he didn’t get either year?
“What more could you ask for?” Lovullo said.
“To me, he is a (serious) MVP candidate.”