Fansided

10 MLB stars who need to step up and carry their team to the playoffs

By Joshua Sadlock

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 31: Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on against the San Francisco Giants at Citizens Bank Park on July 31, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 31: Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on against the San Francisco Giants at Citizens Bank Park on July 31, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – AUGUST 06: St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (46) walks in to the dugout during the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on August 06, 2019, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Adam Davis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – AUGUST 06: St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (46) walks in to the dugout during the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on August 06, 2019, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Adam Davis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

6. Paul Goldschmidt

The St. Louis Cardinals have pulled out all the stops over the past four years to try and find a superstar bat to fill the void left by Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday. They offered Jason Heyward a huge contract, chased Yoenis Cespedes and Justin Upton, signed Dexter Fowler for over $80 million and gave away the farm to acquire Marcell Ozuna and Paul Goldschmidt via trade. None of the moves have panned out, leaving the Cardinals with a bottom-tier offense in the National League.

St. Louis has the worst offense among the NL contenders, ranking 13th in the league in runs and OPS. A steady rotation and bullpen have done the heavy lifting to keep them in the thick of the playoff race, but if they are going to emerge to claim a spot in the postseason, the offense is going to have to step up. The responsibility of sparking a fire under the lineup has to fall on Goldschmidt’s shoulders.

Underrated and underpaid his entire career to date, Goldschmidt finally got his big contract this spring when the Cardinals extended him for five years and $130 million. The 31-year-old has had an illustrious nine years in the big leagues, winning four Silver Sluggers and finishing in the top five of the MVP vote three times.

Goldschmidt is having a down year but has been red hot in the second half. He hit just .254/.343/.426 in the first half with 16 home runs and 37 RBI and missed the All-Star Game for the first time in six years. He has turned it on in a big way in the second half, however, hitting .288/.330/.615 with 10 homers and 25 RBI in 28 games. Coincidentally, the Cardinals are 17-11 in the second half. They’ll need him to stay hot for the rest of the year to have a chance to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2015.

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