From 2015 through 2023, Nolan Arenado built one of baseball’s most decorated résumés. The smooth-fielding third baseman piled up eight Gold Gloves and five Silver Sluggers during that dominant run. He was selected to play in every All Star game during that run.
Arenado punished pitchers throughout the stretch, batting .288 while averaging 33 doubles, 33 homers, and 105 RBI. He earned eight Player of the Week awards and captured four National League Player of the Month honors.
MVP voters consistently recognized his impact. Arenado finished among the top eight six times, including four appearances inside the top five. Seven of his first ten seasons produced at least 30 homers, while three campaigns soared beyond the 40-homer plateau. During that first decade, the 6-foot-2, 215-pound slugger led the National League three times in homers. He also claimed two RBI titles and two total-base crowns.
Hall of Fame debates surround Arenado’s legacy. Analytics supporters often cite his peak production and elite WAR7 figure. That metric combines a player’s seven best WAR seasons to measure greatness at his peak. Arenado’s impressive 44.4 WAR7 ranks among the finest totals ever posted by a third baseman.
Only twelve players at the position own higher marks. Ten already sit in Cooperstown beside legends of the game. Veterans Committee candidate Ken Boyer and Sal Bando, the captain of the three-time World Series champion Athletics remain the only exceptions.
Arenado’s breakout 2015 campaign launched that remarkable stretch. At just 24 years old, he blasted 42 homers, drove in 130 runs, and totaled 354 bases. By season’s end, he carried home both a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger. Shown here is a receipt he signed to received his first All Star ring that season.