The New York Yankees made a modest gamble this past winter, committing just $12.5 million to veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt.
After dealing with Anthony Rizzo’s decline, the team needed a more dependable presence at the position heading into 2025.
Goldschmidt, now 37, brought name recognition, experience, and past production — but also questions about how much was truly left in the tank.
For the first few months, that gamble looked like a clear win. But lately, the shine has started to fade.
Goldschmidt’s numbers still solid — but momentum has slowed
Across 94 games, Goldschmidt is slashing .289/.347/.431 with eight homers and a .778 OPS — good for a 116 wRC+.
He’s cut his strikeout rate to a manageable 17.4% and holds a decent 7.6% walk rate through mid-July.
In isolation, those numbers look perfectly fine — even encouraging for a 37-year-old nearing the twilight of his career.
But they were carried by an early-season surge, and his bat has cooled significantly since late May.
A brutal June has raised fair questions
June was nothing short of ugly for Goldschmidt, who hit just .143 with a .464 OPS across the entire month.
Pitchers worked him differently, attacking early in counts and taking advantage of reduced bat speed on inside pitches.
The regression raised red flags, especially considering his age and diminishing power profile — just eight homers so far this season.
Although July has shown some improvement, with 12 hits in 84 at-bats, inconsistency remains a clear issue.
Three-strikeout game in Toronto underscores volatility
Monday’s loss to the Toronto Blue Jays saw Goldschmidt strike out three times, but he did tally a hit.
He looked out of rhythm and overmatched against Kevin Gausman, which has happened more frequently as the summer has worn on.
It’s not that Goldschmidt has become a liability — far from it — but the Yankees need more power and big-time hits.
In a tight playoff race, they can’t afford to have a black hole in the middle of the lineup every third or fourth game.
Still an upgrade — but is it enough?
To be fair, Goldschmidt has still offered a dramatic upgrade from what the Yankees saw with Anthony Rizzo last season.
His current 116 wRC+ marks a 40–50% improvement in run production over Rizzo’s disappointing 2024 campaign.
The problem isn’t that Goldschmidt has underperformed — it’s that the Yankees might’ve already seen his best stretch this year.
If he can’t rediscover his power stroke down the stretch, the team may need to get Ben Rice a bit more playing time at first.
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What the Yankees need from Goldschmidt moving forward
Consistency is key. The Yankees don’t need 30 home runs from Goldschmidt — they need timely hits and competitive at-bats in critical moments.
Even modest pop and steady contact can stabilize the lineup if he avoids the dramatic slumps that have popped up lately.
The early returns were promising, but Goldschmidt has to prove he can sustain it through the dog days of summer.
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