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MLB All-Star Game: Paul Goldschmidt starts at first-base for National League

This is my unsurprised face.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Diamondbacks' Paul Goldschmidt was voted to start the All-Star Game at first-base for the National League, and it wasn't even close. Goldie cruised to victory over the other candidates, including the Dodgers' Adrian Gonzalez and the Reds' Joey Votto, which is entirely as you would expect. It will be Goldschmidt's third consecutive All-Star appearance, and his second time being voted to start the game, having also won fan balloting at the first-base position last season.

Goldschmidt has taken his play to a whole new level this season, and is currently hitting .349/.467/.624, with 20 home-runs and 67 RBI. He leads qualifying first basemen in the National League at - deep breath, please - hits, home-runs, RBI, walks, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS, so basically every meaningful category. By bWAR is his already more than two full wins better than his nearest rival [the Cubs' Anthony Rizzo] and is on pace to deliver a ten-win season. That would be the best ever by a National League at the position, and the first in the majors since Lou Gehrig in 1934.

Yeah, I think it's fairly safe to say that Goldschmidt deserves this one!