ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

Diamondbacks’ Goldschmidt ‘fading away’ in MVP race, says CBS writer

Aug 7, 2013, 8:32 PM | Updated: 8:37 pm

First baseman Paul Goldschmidt has been one of the biggest surprises for the Arizona Diamondbacks this season, emerging as perhaps the best player on the roster. He, along with pitcher Patrick Corbin, represented the team at the All-Star Game in July.

Goldschmidt, 25, is still leading the National League in RBI (89) entering Wednesday, but he is slipping in the NL MVP race, at least according to one blogger.

Baseball writer Matt Snyder of CBS Sports dubs Goldschmidt as “fading away” in the MVP race, even though he says all hope is not yet lost.

When the Diamondbacks were comfortably in first place and Goldschmidt was taking a line of .313/.395/ .557 with 23 doubles, 21 homers, 77 RBI and nine steals into the All-Star break, he was probably among the frontrunners. He still leads the NL in RBI, however, he’s hit just .233 since the break while the Diamondbacks have — with the obvious help of the Dodgers’ crazy hot run — seen a 4.5-game lead become a 5.5-game deficit. This has a way of burying MVP candidates, but there’s still plenty of time to turn it around. Goldy’s numbers on their own are worthy of consideration, after all, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him make a serious run here.

Interestingly enough, a different writer from the same sports site pointed out last month that the first baseman’s second-half numbers haven’t matched up to his first-half stats over his career, even though he’s only three seasons deep. As of Wednesday morning, the team has played 17 games since the All-Star break; but Goldschmidt so far is following the pattern of his other seasons.

Andrew McCutchen of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Yadier Molina of the St. Louis Cardinals are the front-runners in Snyder’s NL MVP watch.

Also worth noting is Snyder’s listing of former Diamondback Justin Upton (now on the Atlanta Braves) as a “dark horse” in the MVP race.

After a scorching hot start to the season, Upton faded rather quickly, going through a huge slump. He’s starting to heat up again, though, as he’s hitting .452 with four homers and 10 RBI in his last seven games (heading into Tuesday). The current line of .265/.356/.473 with 20 homers isn’t nearly good enough, but he can get insanely hot. Factor in that the Braves are well-positioned to have the best record in the National League by season’s end and he’s likely to be their best candidate — and you have your dark horse. Obviously Freddie Freeman could be a solid choice here as well, but we’re going with Upton based upon the power upside.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Ketel Marte celebrates...

Tyler Drake

Ketel Marte to lead off Arizona Diamondbacks’ Opening Day lineup

The Arizona Diamondbacks' Opening Day lineup is set ahead of their matchup against the Colorado Rockies on Thursday.

1 hour ago

Jordan Montgomery throws a pitch...

Tyler Drake

Hall: Diamondbacks’ addition of Jordan Montgomery ‘made a lot of sense’

The Diamondbacks' addition of Jordan Montgomery puts a bow on a rotation that should be in the conversation for the top spot across MLB.

3 hours ago

Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno...

Arizona Sports

Roundtable picks: One Diamondbacks young player to watch in 2024

Which Arizona Diamondbacks player should continue an upward trend in 2024? Gabriel Moreno, Brandon Pfaadt and Alek Thomas are possibilities.

3 hours ago

Chase Field flyover...

Damon Allred

Diamondbacks’ Hall ‘battling’ to keep Chase Field roof open for Opening Day

The roof at Chase Field continues to be a hot button topic, especially after an exhibition game was rained out on Monday.

4 hours ago

Merrill Kelly throws a pitch...

Alex Weiner

Meet the Arizona Diamondbacks’ 2024 Opening Day roster

The Arizona Diamondbacks finalized their 26-man Opening Day roster on Thursday ahead of their matchup against the Rockies.

5 hours ago

Manager Torey Lovullo speaks with Corbin Carroll...

Arizona Sports

Roundtable: Expectations, predictions for the 2024 Arizona Diamondbacks

What are the expectations for the 2024 Arizona Diamondbacks? Arizona Sports show hosts and editors make their predictions.

7 hours ago

Diamondbacks’ Goldschmidt ‘fading away’ in MVP race, says CBS writer