Cards' Goldschmidt takes first career MVP award

St. Louis Cardinals slugger Paul Goldschmidt has been voted the National League MVP, beating retired teammate Nolan Arenado and San Diego Padres 3rd baseman Manny Machado.

Goldschmidt, 35, takes location his archetypal MVP grant aft starring the NL successful slugging (.578) and OPS (.981) portion compiling the highest OPS-plus (180) of his career. It's the sixth clip successful his 12-year vocation that helium has finished successful the apical six successful voting for the award.

Along with Arenado, Goldschmidt helped pb the Cardinals to an NL Central part title.

For the season, helium deed .317 with 35 location runs and 115 RBIs, ranking 3rd successful the NL successful batting average, 5th successful location runs and 2nd successful RBIs. Goldschmidt's sabermetric stats besides ranked high, arsenic helium ranked archetypal successful WOBA (weighted on-base average), archetypal successful WRC+ (weighted runs created plus) and 3rd successful ISO (isolated power). He besides ranked 2nd successful WAR among presumption players, conscionable down Arenado.

Goldschmidt's MVP was fueled by his archetypal 5 months of the play erstwhile helium deed .332 with an OPS implicit 1.000. He slumped immoderate successful September, hitting conscionable .245 with 2 location runs. He besides went 0-for-7 successful the Cardinals' wild-card nonaccomplishment to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Arenado, 31, finished successful the apical six successful voting for the 5th clip successful his vocation aft hitting .293 with 30 location runs. He besides won his 10th consecutive golden mitt award.

Machado, 30, carried the Padres to a wild-card berth aft hitting 32 location runs portion compiling a .898 OPS. With prima shortstop Fernando Tatis missing the full play owed to an wounded and past a suspension for PED usage and with newcomer Juan Soto struggling, Machado was the main root of violative accumulation for San Diego. According to ESPN stats and Information, helium accounted for 20 percent of his team's location runs, 3rd among NL players, portion signaling the highest percent of his team's other basal hits.

It's Machado's 4th clip finishing successful the apical 5 successful MVP voting, including doubly with the Baltimore Orioles and present doubly with the Padres.