Arizona Diamondbacks rookie call-up Paul Goldschmidt has been having one heck of a good season thus far, and now has some hardware to prove it. USA Today released their choice as the 2011 Minor League Player of the year, and lo and behold, Mr. Goldschmidt was their pick.
The 23-year-old first baseman was leading all minor leaguers with 30 home runs and 94 RBI when the Arizona Diamondbacks promoted him to the big leagues August 1 from the Class AA Mobile BayBears. Goldschmidt got the nod over other players like the Angels' Mike Trout (.326 11 HR, 38 RBI), the Braves' Julio Teheran (15-2 2.22 ERA 121 K) and the Padres Joe Wieland (13-3 1.79 ERA, 144 K); all having very good year's in their own right between the major and minor leagues.
Goldschmidt was a 49th round pick of the Dodgers in the 2006 draft, and has been impressing scouts and coaches alike for a long time. Here's how his minor league hitting coach Alan Zinter puts it:
"He's like a sponge in that he wants to soak up anything that can make him a better baseball player. He's doing things the right way. He's always looking for consistency and how he can work on the mental side of the game. He's learned how to handle his failures. He just keeps moving forward.
via USAtoday.com