Arizona Diamondbacks: Paul Goldschmidt is my National League MVP

Here are my regular season award winners in the National League and American League

Yes, the Arizona Diamondbacks have one more regular season game to play.

But it is the first day of October and for the first time in six years, the baseball season will not end this afternoon against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium.

Today is Game 162, but “Our Season” is just begining. The organization is preparing Chase Field for a spectacle Arizona will take place in for the very first time. A one-game playoff against the Colorado Rockies for the right to move on to the NL Division Series and face the Los Angeles Dodgers.

A playoff roster has to be set. Zack Greinke, pitching coach Mike Butcher have to come up with a game plan to get Nolan Arenado and the rest of the Rockies venerable lineup, and Paul Goldschmidt needs to find his swing again.

Do not worry. In due time, the team at Venom Strikes will start previewing next Wednesday’s wild card game.

But with the regular season coming to an end, it is time to hand out some hardware and recognize the players and managers that made the 2017 MLB season one to remember.

One article with all my picks would go on forever. So, I have decided to divide it up. That way, at the end of this article, you will wonder ‘Who are Joe’s CY Young Award winners?’ and will have to come back.

Earlier today, I submitted my official Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) ballot. Here are my picks for NL and AL MVP.

PHOENIX, AZ – SEPTEMBER 23: Paul Goldschmidt (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images) /

NL MVP: Paul Goldschmidt – 6.5 WAR

Goldschmidt finished as MVP runnerup in 2013 and 2015 – on losing teams.

Here is a comparision of Goldy’s numbers through his first 150 games of 2013, 2015 and 2017.

2013: .304, 34 HR, 119 RBI

2015: .319, 31 HR, 104 RBI

2017: .306, 36 HR, 120 RBI

A rough September can explain the decline in Goldschmidt’s average from last season to this season. Entering Sunday’s regular season finale, Goldschmidt was hitting .299.

But Goldschmidt is a middle of the order bat. Production defines his greatness at the plate, and he has surpassed career highs for home runs and RBI.

Goldschmidt has also scored more runs this season (117) than the last two years combined. Hitting ahead of J.D. Martinez has helped “America’s First Baseman,” but Goldy was putting up MVP callibar numbers before Martinez joined the D-backs.

Goldschmidt is first in the majors in AB/RBI (4.52) and sixth in the NL with 15.06 AB/HR, according to a dbacks.com infographic.

Baseball America rated Goldschmidt as the NL’s Best Defensive First Baseman, the second best hitter, the second Best Strike-Zone Judgement and the third Best Baserunner.

Goldschmidt is on pace to be one of eight players with 35-plus home runs, 110-plus RBI and a .400-plus on-base percentage in a single season since 2008. Goldchmidt (2013), Prince Fielder (2011), Albert Pujols (2010), Joey Votto (2010), Pujols (2009), Fielder (2009) and for a third time, Pujols (2008) are the others.

When you add on a 75 percent or greater stolen base percentage to the numbers above, minimum 20 attemps, Goldschmidt is one of eight players since 1997 to put up those stats.

Only Kris Bryant and Giancarlo Stanton, both at 7.1, have a higher WAR among NL position players, according to STATS LLC.

Stanton is great but Goldschmidt is the better all around player who deserved MVP honors in the past, and is the leader of a team going to the postseason.

Here is the rest of my top 10:

3. Nolan Arenado – Colorado Rockies

4. Joey Votto – Cincinnati Reds

5. Charlie Blackmon – Colorado Rockies

6. Kris Bryant – Chicago Cubs

7. J.D. Martinez – Diamondbacks

8. Anthony Rendon – Washington Nationals

9. Justin Turner – Los Angeles Dodgers

10. Marcell Ozuna – Miami Marlins