Arizona Diamondbacks slugger Paul Goldschmidt isn’t just one of baseball’s best players. He’s also making history.
Through the first 738 games of his career, Goldschmidt has lofted himself into rarefied air.
“Only two other players in baseball history – Hall of Fame royalty Ted Williams and Lou Gehrig – have put up equal or better numbers than Goldschmidt has when it comes to hits (800), doubles (192), home runs (134), RBIs (486) and walks (444) through their first 738 games,” per Bob McManaman, AZ Central Sports.
In that same timeframe, Williams had 927 hits, 192 doubles, 165 homers, 640 RBIs and 654 walks. Gehrig, on the other hand, had 890 hits, 202 doubles, 139 homers, 596 RBIs and 459 walks.
Goldschmidt’s national recognition has definitely been hurt because of where he plays. Since the Diamondbacks play in a small market and haven’t been a serious factor in any playoff race since 2011, they’re a very easy team to overlook.
Looking past Goldschmidt, however, would be a mistake.
Strangely enough, those brilliant stats don’t even do him complete justice. Goldschmidt is not just a great hitter. He is also a well-rounded player.
In his career, the Arizona first baseman has stolen 84 bases. He’s gone over 20 steals once and is on pace to do so again in 2016. In the field, Goldschmidt has added two Gold Gloves.
If you’re a baseball fan and are not following the Diamondbacks much, now’s the time to break that habit. Missing Goldschmidt play is missing someone performing at a nearly unprecedented rate.