‘He’s definitely the good cop, and I’m definitely the bad one’: How two MVP candidates are fueling each other
Batman has Robin. Tom has Jerry. McCartney had Lennon — and Goldy has Arenado.
Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado might have arrived in St. Louis two seasons apart, but they quickly became linked as the dynamic duo manning the two corners of the Cardinals infield. Both have won multiple Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards, and this season they could pull off a rare feat: becoming the first teammates to finish 1-2 in MVP voting since Barry Bonds and Jeff Kent 22 years ago.
“When you’re in the moment, you try not to sit back too much but there’s times I’m at home and realize this is pretty fun, what we’re doing,” Arenado said recently. “Our 3-4 hole is good and we’re playing good defense.”
The pair has been better than good this season. They rank first and second in the National League in slugging and have combined for 65 home runs and 224 runs driven in, which is nearly a third of St. Louis’ total runs scored this season. Goldschmidt leads the NL in OPS+ and total bases; Arenado has struck out just 71 times, by far the least of anyone in baseball with 30 or more home runs.
“It’s nice to know, when I’ve struggled,” Goldschmidt said, “he’s coming up next and will get the job done, or vice versa.”
Goldschmidt, who arrived in St. Louis before the 2019 season, first made a name for himself with the Arizona Diamondbacks; Arenado, who became a star with the Colorado Rockies, came over in the 2020 offseason.
Both landed in St. Louis after their previous teams had gone through turnover and turmoil. Though they might share the spotlight more than they had before, they now have one another to depend on — and they each have a deep understanding for what the other is going through.
“He made the transition here really easy,” Arenado said of Goldschmidt. “The thing he did most for me was when I was struggling bad last year … I couldn’t repeat [my swing]. And I told him it was really frustrating because I was getting pitches to do damage on. … He told me he went through what I was going through just the year before. He told me how to fix it.”
Goldschmidt added: “We talk hitting all the time. We talk about our swings, our approach, what the other teams are doing. He’s helped me a ton, even last year.”
While their games are similar, and that has enhanced their ability to get each other through tough stretches during a season, their personalities aren’t exactly alike.
“He’s definitely the good cop and I’m definitely the bad one,” Arenado said with a laugh. “I always make the joke that he’s the angel on the shoulder. I’m more of the devil on the other side because I get more angry than him. He’s more calm and patient.
“I’m a little crazier in a sense. That’s why we click pretty well.”
While giving a noncommittal smile at the assessment of their personalities, in true “good cop” fashion, Goldschmidt turned the conversation back to their play on the field, where he’s more concerned with keeping Arenado’s Gold Glove streak intact and making sure he doesn’t “mess it up” when his third baseman makes a great play. Arenado has won the award every year he’s been in the league — nine times and counting.
Soon after singing his teammate’s praises, in a mid-September game against the Cincinnati Reds, Goldschmidt scooped a low throw from Arenado to complete a tough play. It was followed with a nod of appreciation across the diamond from the All-Star third baseman to his All-Star first baseman.
“He saved me from a big error,” Arenado said with a laugh.
As the No. 3 hitter in St. Louis’ lineup, Goldschmidt’s at-bats also provide an opportunity for Arenado to see what’s coming at the plate when he steps in as the Cardinals’ cleanup hitter.
“Watching pitchers pitch him, sometimes I get an idea what’s going to happen to me,” Arenado said. “We’re both right-handed so we get attacked a lot alike. We’re not the same player, obviously, but we have similar traits.”
Before they became close as teammates in St. Louis, Arenado and Goldschmidt actually first got to know each other while playing for Team USA in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, after they had admired each other from afar as fellow NL West stars.
“I remember getting his number and texting him about how he went about things,” Arenado recalled of their days in the same division. “I respected how he handled himself. I wanted to find out what the secret was in a sense.
“We talk the same language.”
And the similarities don’t stop there. Both players moved to teams while in their prime and now are on massive contracts — Goldschmidt for $130 million, Arenado for $275 million. In fact, Arenado’s deal has an opt-out after this season, and though he hasn’t publicly declared he’s staying in St. Louis, most wouldn’t bet against it.
“I feel like I fit in here and feel welcome here,” Arenado said.
For now, the focus won’t be on Arenado’s looming contract status, or the battle for MVP, which would be the first for either player — not with games left on the schedule and a postseason yet to take place. Arenado and Goldschmidt are both looking toward playing deep into October, as the Cardinals clinched the NL Central with a win over the Brewers on Tuesday night. But it’s impossible to ignore the fact that Goldschmidt and Arenado are two names baseball fans will be hearing a lot when it comes to this award season.
“It’s been amazing,” Arenado said. “We’re winning ball games but it feels good that we’re both playing well. Last year, when he was playing well, I’d play bad. Or if he was playing bad, I’d play well. We never clicked. It was like ‘one day we’ll get a hit together.’
“This year, to do it together, it’s been so much fun.”
The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is set.
Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He was followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Brent Rooker of the Athletics and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees.
On Friday, however, Acuna was replaced by teammate Matt Olson.
With all the entrants announced, let’s break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.
Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 434 feet
Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.
Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.
2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.
Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.
2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet
Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.
Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.
2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet
Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.
Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.
2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet
Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.
Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.
2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet
Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.
Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.
2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.
Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet
Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.
Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.
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