The Most Underrated Part of Paul Goldschmidt’s Game May Be His Greatest Strength

Honestly Marvel, you should really think about casting Paul Goldschmidt in your next Captain America installment.

The guy is in the midst of an MVP-caliber season and is coasting into his third consecutive All-Star appearance.

A week before All-Star votes are finalized, Paul Goldschmidt has nearly lapped the field. (Courtesy ESPN)

Goldschmidt’s 20 home runs and .352 average are certainly eye-popping and are well in line with his new place among the game’s most valuable hitters.

But the 27-year-old did something during Thursday’s game against the Rockies that should really be celebrated: he walked.

More specifically, he walked for his 306th time as a member of the Diamondbacks, tying his former teammate Justin Upton for fifth-most in franchise history. Barring injury, he’ll surpass Miguel Montero and Steve Finley on that list this season, too.

And he’s done it all in far less at bats, just 1962 after Thursday. That’s 701 less than Upton and 1,000 less than both Montero and Finley.

Goldschmidt’s batting eye is rarely raved about, but it should be.

He leads the league in on-base percentage so far this season at a robust .468 clip. That percentage, if he were to maintain it for a full season, would rank among the best in MLB history. We’re talking Tris Speaker, Ty Cobb, Shoeless Joe-level greatness.

Goldy’s walked 63 times this season, again league-leading, and has only whiffed on 64 occasions. He’s struck fear in the hearts of opposing pitchers, who have opted to intentionally walk the man 18 times despite Arizona scoring the most runs in the NL through 79 games.

Goldschmidt has become one of baseball’s most patient hitters in 2015. (Courtesy BrooksBaseball.Net)

Those are the kooky, bizarro numbers reserved only for the truly elite, the utterly locked in.

Goldschmidt’s season may be remembered for his home run total, but it will be his selectiveness that tells the real story of his dominance.