Adobe Stock | Jason Stitt
Paul “Goldy” Goldschmidt, a Wilmington native, just became the first-ever Delaware-born baseball player voted Most Valuable Player.
On November 17, Paul Goldschmidt of the St Louis Cardinals became the first Delaware-born baseball player voted Most Valuable Player in either league when he took the title of NL MVP. The closest any previous Delawarean came was New Castle’s Dave May, who finished eighth in 1973 when playing for the then American League Milwaukee Brewers.
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In a poll of sportswriters, Goldschmidt received an astounding 22 of 30 first-place votes, and it’s easy to see why. He was the only National Leaguer this season to finish in the top five in each “Triple Crown” category: third in batting average at .317, fifth in home runs with 35, and second in runs batted in with 115.
Goldschmidt’s 2022 season was the fourth year he batted over .300. This was also the seventh year he hit more than 30 home runs and the fourth year he drove in over 100 runs. He came close to being named MVP before, finishing second in both 2013 and 2016, and third in 2017, all while playing for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
He has also won the National League Aaron Award twice, the Gold Glove Award four times, and Silver Slugger Award five times.
While Goldschmidt’s immediate goal is surely to win a World Series in St Louis, his impressive career may eventually bring him back East: not necessarily to Delaware, but to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
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