ESPN: Paul Goldschmidt wasn’t always an obvious All-Star
Jul 12, 2016, 12:17 PM
Arizona Diamondbacks' Paul Goldschmidt leans over the dugout rail as he waits to bat against the Colorado Rockies in the first inning of a baseball game Thursday, June 23, 2016, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Some players are thought to be All-Star bound from the moment they enter the draft. Paul Goldschmidt wasn’t one of those players.
In fact, Goldschmidt was first picked in the 49th round (1,453rd overall) of the 2006 MLB Draft by the Dodgers. He chose not to sign, and was later selected in the eighth round in 2009 (246th overall) from Texas State University by the Diamondbacks. In college, he was the school’s all-time leader in home runs with 36 and RBI with 179.
ESPN’s Tony Blengino placed Goldschmidt in the category of “Not highly touted before becoming massive minor league performers” in a ranking of every 2016 All-Star’s likelihood of reaching the Mid-Summer Classic.
36. Paul Goldschmidt (repeat): Picked in the eighth round in 2009, largely on the strength of some gaudy offensive numbers at Texas State, Goldschmidt didn’t miss a beat with the wood bat. He qualified for my minor league list twice, including a peak ranking of No. 13 in 2011.
In the minors, Goldschmidt was the Single-A California League’s MVP in 2010 and the Double-A Southern League MVP in 2011. He played in the 2011 Futures Game at Chase Field as a minor league standout.
Goldschmidt was the D-backs’ No. 11 prospect after the 2010 season, and in 2011, he made his MLB debut, hitting .250 in 48 games in the regular season. In the postseason, Goldschmidt hit a grand slam against the Brewers at Chase Field in Game 3 of the NLDS.
He was an All-Star two seasons later.
Since 2013, Goldschmidt has made four straight All-Star teams, starting twice as the National League’s first baseman. He has also been the NL’s runner-up in MVP voting twice (2013, 2015).
