With the 2015 season in the books, we will now begin to assess the individual performances of the Arizona Diamondbacks. To read my team wrap-up of the season, please click here. Instead of giving out grades as though Major League ballplayers are school kids, I’ll instead finish our review with how each player did on a 1-10 scale with 10 being superior and 1 being…….well, you get it. What better way to start than with the D-backs’ Face of the Franchise, Paul Goldschmidt.
More from Venom Strikes
- Happy Thanksgiving Diamondbacks Fans! We have lots to be thankful for!
- The perfect holiday gifts for the Arizona Diamondbacks fan
- Diamondbacks make some BIG 40-man roster Moves
- About time! Diamondbacks to now provide housing for Minor League players
- What is the Rule 5 Draft? How does it impact Diamondbacks?
The Good
There aren’t many more superlatives we can use to describe the All-Star first baseman. Goldschmidt enjoyed another MVP-type season with 33 home runs, 110 RBI’s and an OPS of 1.005, second best in all of baseball. Not only can he hit but he can run as well; his 21 stolen bases were tied for second on the club. His .321 batting average ranked third in the National League and fourth in the Majors, his .435 on-base percentage ranked placed him third in the NL and fourth overall and his 103 runs scored was good for second in the league behind teammate A.J. Pollock. Goldschmidt’s defense at first is second to none and should result in his second Gold Glove Award. You name the category and Goldy excels in it.
The Bad
Really, do we have to nitpick? Though he still reached base at a tremedous rate in July, his power dipped with only two homers and 12 RBI’s, both monthly low-water marks in 2015. August was easily his worst month as Goldschmidt hit only .243 with a .355 OBP. That’s an OBP an average player would take but for him, that number is over 50 points below his next lowest mark. He struck out 151 times in 2015, his most in one season.
Final Analysis
Although the media insists when describing Goldschmidt that he is “under the radar” or “underrated” fans beg to differ. He was voted to his second consecutive All-Star Game which suggests it is the media that overlooks him. Goldy is under the most club-friendly contract in the game until after the 2019 season. He is on track, if he is not already, to be the greatest position player in franchise history. The mild slump in August cost Goldschmidt a perfect score. Let’s give him a 9.75.