Fansided

MLB Power Rankings: Top 25 players in the game today

By Joshua Sadlock

ANAHEIM, CA - MAY 02: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels reacts to his solo homerun for a 1-1 tie with the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning at Angel Stadium on May 2, 2018 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA - MAY 02: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels reacts to his solo homerun for a 1-1 tie with the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning at Angel Stadium on May 2, 2018 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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PHOENIX, AZ – MAY 01: Paul Goldschmidt #44 of the Arizona Diamondbacks bats against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the second inning of the MLB game at Chase Field on May 1, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, AZ – MAY 01: Paul Goldschmidt #44 of the Arizona Diamondbacks bats against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the second inning of the MLB game at Chase Field on May 1, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

15. Paul Goldschmidt

Underrated and ignored by most fans for the early years of his career because the Arizona Diamondbacks were so terrible, Paul Goldschmidt is finally being held in the same regard as MLB’s other superstars. In eight years in the big leagues, he has finished in the top-three of the NL MVP vote three times and has three Silver Sluggers and three Gold Gloves. Goldschmidt has become a lock for a .300/.400/.500 line with roughly 30 home runs and 20 stolen bases.

Goldschmidt is this generation’s answer to Jeff Bagwell, a powerful first baseman with surprising wheels. He has probably missed his chance at a 30-30 season as the wheels start to slow down and the Diamondbacks field a lineup that does not require him to take as many chances on the bases to create runs — although it is worth noting that Goldschmidt has been successful on 81 percent of stolen base attempts for his career.

For the first time this season, the Diamondbacks will store their baseballs in a humidor to cut down on the effects of playing in a desert. Chase Field has always had a hitter-friendly reputation, but it was only the eighth-best park in the league last year for scoring runs. It doesn’t jump off the page as a park that needed to have its effects fooled with like Coors Field. Goldschmidt is off to a slow start at the plate this year, and it could be several months before the full effects of the humidors in Arizona can be analyzed.

With or without the humidors, Paul Goldschmidt is still one of the best first basemen in baseball, but he signed away two years of free agency, likely costing himself a chance to sign a nine-figure deal. He will hit free agency after his age-31 season in 2019.

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