Goldschmidt making his case for NL MVP

Paul Goldschmidt is putting up incredible numbers this year for the St. Louis Cardinals. Goldschmidt is the current front-runner for the National League MVP award.

Goldschmidt is aiming to be the first Cardinals MVP award winner since Albert Pujols in 2009. He is slugging the ball at a .335 average, with 24 homeruns, and 77 RBIs. He is top five in the MLB in each of the following categories: batting average, runs batted in, hits, On base percentage, slugging, OPS, and WAR. He is also a consistent fielder at the first base position. This is a clear case for NL MVP.

Goldschmidt is already listed at a -155 favorite to win the award. The closest player to him in the current odds is Freddie Freeman, who is listed at +650. The Cardinals are contenders in the NL Central division which boosts his odds. If the team can trade for some pitching and climb in the National League rankings, Goldschmidt could distance himself even more. The MVP is an individual award, but team success is typically factored in whether we like it or not. Goldschmidt may not need the team success at the rate he is playing at, but it would not hurt him for the Cardinals to get hot down the stretch.