Paul Goldschmidt’s remarkable comeback in the 2025 season has revitalized the New York Yankees’ first base position, an area that struggled significantly in recent years. Signed in December 2024 as part of the Yankees’ Plan B following Juan Soto’s departure, Goldschmidt’s resurgence has been both unexpected and crucial to New York’s success this season.
The Yankees secured Goldschmidt on a modest $12.5 million contract on December 21, amid a flurry of offseason first-base moves across MLB involving players like Christian Walker, Carlos Santana, and Nathaniel Lowe. Despite initial skepticism due to his prior season’s decline with the Cardinals, Goldschmidt’s performance through May 2025 has proven to be one of the best acquisitions of the offseason for the Yankees.
Offseason Movements Set the Stage for a First Base Shakeup
The first base landscape in the MLB shifted rapidly the week before Christmas 2024. Christian Walker’s $60 million deal with the Houston Astros on December 20 triggered a domino effect. Carlos Santana returned to the Cleveland Guardians, who then traded Josh Naylor to the Arizona Diamondbacks—Walker’s former team. The Texas Rangers also moved Nathaniel Lowe to the Washington Nationals after signing Jake Burger earlier in the offseason.
During this period of rapid player movement, the Yankees pivoted from their initial target, Juan Soto, signing first Max Fried, then acquiring Devin Williams and Cody Bellinger before nabbing the veteran Goldschmidt. While not initially the headline-grabbing move, Goldschmidt’s signing has quietly blossomed into one of the most valuable roster upgrades for New York.
Goldschmidt’s Early Season Excellence and Managerial Praise
As of late May, Paul Goldschmidt hit .343 with an on-base percentage of .399 and slugging .490, producing five home runs evenly spread between April and May. These numbers represent a stark upgrade from the Yankees’ recent first base performances, which were hindered by Anthony Rizzo’s decline and previous reliance on utility players like Jon Berti. The team’s 2023 and 2024 first-base stats hovered below league average, with OPS figures under .370, making Goldschmidt’s .445 slugging and improved batting average a significant turnaround.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone has expressed admiration for Goldschmidt’s consistency at the plate.
“Getting to see it up close and personal, it’s been really impressive,”
Boone said on May 2.
“He’s been so consistent. He’s given us that really good, tough, consistent at-bat in any situation. That’s been really good to see here.”
The Roots of Goldschmidt’s Sudden Resurgence
At 37 years old, Goldschmidt faced doubts after a career-worst 2024 season with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he slashed just .245/.302/.414 with 22 homers and a high 26.5% strikeout rate. That season’s downturn featured more ground balls and less offensive production, clear signs of an aging player’s decline. Yet through the early months of 2025, Goldschmidt reversed this trend and became indispensable to the Yankees.
Goldschmidt himself downplayed trying to pinpoint the cause of his turnaround:
“That’s a good question. I don’t really have an answer,”
he joked recently.
“I don’t really think about it too much. I just try to have a good at-bat.”
He acknowledged the challenges of last season candidly at his Yankees introduction:
“I’m a pretty simple hitter. I just wasn’t consistently doing that last year,”
he admitted.
“I was very honest with a lot of the media in St. Louis and anyone else who asked that. I was just not performing well, but I think the good part of that is I was able to learn from it and make those adjustments and be ready to go this year.”
How Goldschmidt’s Approach at the Plate Has Evolved
One notable aspect of Goldschmidt’s 2025 season is the shift in his batted ball profile. Despite experiencing career-low exit velocity and hard-hit rates, he has increased the percentage of line drives, which tend to produce better offensive outcomes than grounders or high fly balls. This suggests a change in approach—focusing more on making solid, well-placed contact rather than sheer power.
Goldschmidt is among the Yankees using new torpedo bats this year, though the precise effect of this equipment on his performance remains uncertain. His hard-hit rate is currently the lowest of his career, but his launch angle optimization—particularly hitting within the ideal 8 to 32-degree “sweet spot” range—has resulted in excellent batting averages and slugging on these balls in play.
His strikeout rate has fallen to a career-low 15.5%, outperforming even his MVP season in 2022. He now makes contact close to 90% of swings at pitches in the strike zone, a substantial improvement over his career average of around 81%, and well above the MLB average of 85.7%. Despite lower exit velocity, his combination of improved contact quality and plate discipline has resulted in an expected batting average of .305 and slugging percentage of .505, indicating his results align closely with the quality of his contact.
Managing Workload to Sustain Performance
Entering his late 30s, Goldschmidt has benefited from a more rested approach this season, as the Yankees have carefully managed his playing time. Compared to 2024 with the Cardinals, where he started nearly every game, Goldschmidt has been given regular days off in 2025, often resting against tough right-handed pitchers.
Goldschmidt reflected on this new role:
“For most of my career, I was playing every day,”
he said earlier this month.
“… Coming here, it’s a little bit of a different role. I’ve just tried to embrace that. It was exciting for something new.”
This deliberate rest schedule has already shown dividends. Statistical splits from last season revealed that Goldschmidt performed significantly better in games after an off-day, hitting three of his five homers in such circumstances in 2025 and adding a pinch-hit homer in a game he didn’t start.
The Yankees have the depth to give Goldschmidt this rest, with six players capable of fitting into the outfield, first base, and designated hitter roles. <a href="https://www.buzzineintl.com/tag/ben-rice/”>Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger provide reliable defensive depth and occasional starts at first base, allowing Goldschmidt to maintain freshness while minimizing offensive impact. Manager Boone faces a delicate balancing act, managing the workload of veteran players like Goldschmidt and Aaron Judge to ensure sustained production throughout the long season.
Defensive and Basestealing Value Beyond the Bat
Goldschmidt’s contributions extend beyond hitting; he remains an above-average defender and smart baserunner. At 37, he continues to make plays that showcase his range and agility, often executing difficult scoops and quick flips at first base with precision. His defensive skills have helped stabilize a position where the Yankees struggled in recent years.
Additionally, Goldschmidt is an intelligent baserunner, going 4 for 4 stealing bases this season and succeeding 48 times in his last 50 attempts over recent years. While his sprint speed ranks in the 33rd percentile, his savvy on the basepaths compensates for a lack of raw speed, allowing him to take extra bases and contribute to the Yankees in subtler ways.
The defensive impact is clear in comparison: the Yankees’ first base defense hovered at -6.0 runs in 2023 and -4.6 in 2024, but Goldschmidt is playing to roughly a league-average level so far in 2025. This improvement has helped the team tighten up the right side of the field, complementing better defense overall and superior baserunning compared to prior seasons.
Goldschmidt’s Role in the Yankees’ AL East Lead
Goldschmidt’s resurgence has been instrumental to the Yankees’ strong start in 2025, helping the team overcome a first base weakness that led to trying several less experienced players during the previous postseason. His two-way impact—both offensively and defensively—has elevated the Yankees’ game and contributed significantly to their AL East-leading record.
This season, Goldschmidt’s performance rivals that of any other first baseman who changed teams in the offseason, and few Yankees have been more impactful than him aside from Aaron Judge. Boone summed up Goldschmidt’s value succinctly:
“It’s just quality at-bats every day,”
Boone said.
“It’s elevating our hitting room and culture. He’s killed lefties, obviously. But he’s a real polished hitter that knows how to play the game.”
While the risk remains that an aging player could fade as the long season progresses, Goldschmidt’s experience and early success position him well to continue providing the Yankees with the production and leadership they need at first base in 2025 and beyond.