ST. LOUIS – Paul Goldschmidt has the chance to accomplish royalty that has only been mastered 16 times in MLB history. Watch mode engaged for a Triple Crown batting title.
Triple Crown winners reach the honor by leading the American League or National League in batting average, home runs and runs batted in at the end of the regular season.
With September on the horizon, the St. Louis Cardinals first baseman leads or stands within reach of all three batting benchmarks. Goldschmidt leads the National League with a .338 batting average and is tied for the lead with 105 RBIs. His 33 home runs are only two behind Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber for the NL lead.
“If something like that happened it would be a miracle,” Goldschmidt said via MLB.com on the potential of a Triple Crown. “To think that’s realistic is probably pretty far-fetched. If something like that did happen, it would be pretty amazing, but to think that’s a goal for anyone, that’s a crazy standard.”
Goldschmidt’s steady contributions have kept the Triple Crown conversation alive deep into the 2022 season. He’s ended each month with at least a .282 batting average and enjoyed monstrous rides in May and August that have led to a combined 19 home runs and 60 RBIs.
“He’s been doing it all year. The consistency is fun to watch,” Cardinals manager Oli Marmol told Bally Sports Midwest after Goldschmidt’s two-home run game Thursday against the Chicago Cubs. “He’s more concerned with producing in order to help us win than anything that he could accomplish for himself, which is why I think he’s able to do it.”
Picking up a Triple Crown is quite a rare feat. Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera last reached for the American League in 2012. It hasn’t been attained in the National League since 1937, last done by Cardinals outfielder Joe Medwick in 1937. Rogers Hornsby also owns a pair of Triple Crown titles from 1922 and 1925, giving St. Louis half of the National League’s all-time crown kings.
Goldschmidt’s goods has helped St. Louis jump to a six-game lead in the National League Central Division, and his Triple Crown pursuit coincides with Albert Pujols’ push for 700 career home runs as the final weeks of the MLB season draw closer.
Add in Gold Glove-caliber defense and an NL leading 7.0 WAR (wins above replacement), Goldschmidt has a legitimate chance for his first-ever MVP title this season. He finished as the runner-up in 2013 and 2015 with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Oddsmakers say MVP chances look very favorable for Goldschmidt, but a Triple Crown could be tougher. Super Sports Books, one of few sites to measure Goldschmidt’s 2022 Triple Crown push, gives him +425 odds of earning the honor and -550 odds of just coming up short.
However, it appears Goldschmidt might already be a runaway favorite for NL MVP. He’s the leading candidate for many oddsmakers, including…
- DraftKings (-1600 odds)
- FanDuel (-1450)
- VegasInsider.com (-1400)
- BetMGM (-375)
- SportsBettingDime.com (-370)
- Covers.com (-370)
Triple Crown, MVP or both? Paul Goldschmidt’s final weeks could certainly help his case for baseball history.