Paul Goldschmidt Could Be the Best Hitter in Baseball
When asking most baseball insiders who the best hitter in the Major Leagues is most will likely say Miguel Cabrera and rightfully so, as he has been a dominant force for the Detroit Tigers.
However, another player has climbed the hitting ladder and must be considered when asking that question and he is the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Paul Goldschmidt
Goldschmidt the first baseman for the Diamondbacks is currently third in All-Star balloting for the National League behind only Bryce Harper and Buster Posey.
Goldschmidt has followed up two strong seasons with another in 2015. He currently is battling .354 with an OPS of 1.127, 20 homers, 62 RBIs and an OBP of .468.
He currently is No. 2 in batting in the NL, No. 5 in home runs in the NL and No. 3 in RBIs on the NL.
He is not the best player in baseball since Mike Trout is, but Goldschmidt is playing like he is in the top 5.
However, the best hitter in the game is a possibility for the Delaware native.
Goldschmidt’s game has reached another level in 2015. He is third in the league in hitting at .351 and first in OBP at .468. Though Harper’s slugging percentage of .719 is far better than Goldschmidt’s the first baseman’s is still a very respectable .655 and No. 2 in the league.
He has hit better than any player over the past year and this year is the toughest out in baseball while hitting at an elite pace for power.
He has moved up from being a very good hitter hitting .302 over the 2013 and 2014 seasons to being one of the best in the game if not the best.
He has improved his game not through luck but through pure hard work. He is having his best season for walk rate at 18.5% and strikeout rate at 17.9%. With more walks than strikeouts, he is with special company. There have been only five other hitters in the National League to have better than 1 to 1 balance in walks to strikeouts.
Goldschmidt is only chasing pitches that are not in the strike zone 22.7% of the time, which is a career low. He is far below the 9.7% league average for swinging strike percentage at 8.3%.
Goldschmidt sums it up simply by saying he just tries to hit the ball. He does not think about a double or home run he just wants to make contact and get on base.
While the Diamondbacks are mired in fourth place in the NL West six games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, Goldschmidt is making a name for himself has the best hitter in the league and quite possibly in the majors this season.
