Yankees followers wished Juan Soto for Christmas this yr. As an alternative, New York gifted them a respectable beginning pitcher, an underwhelming centerfielder and, worst of all, an getting old first baseman in Paul Goldschmidt.
The 37-year-old Goldschmidt is a participant in decline. After main the Nationwide League in OPS+ in 2022, his output dropped to an honest 120 in 2023 after which sank to 98 final season.
That downward pattern is sensible and appears unstoppable after a glance below Goldschmidt’s proverbial hood. Whereas he was nonetheless within the MLB’s high eight p.c when it comes to hard-hit balls final yr, his skill to barrel up the ball is lowering (from 12.0 barrel% in 2023 to 10.7 in 2024).
What’s the outcome? His batting common is plummeting, and his GIDPs are skyrocketing.
Goldschmidt hit a strong .317 in his 2022 MVP season. Nevertheless, he adopted that up with consecutive .268 and .245 performances within the subsequent two campaigns. In 2022, he grounded into simply seven double performs, however that quantity leaped to 12 in 2023 and 20 in 2024.
So, the Yankees might simply have three of the highest 10 GIDP victims in MLB in 2025, with Aaron Choose (tied for No. 3 in 2024 with 22), Goldschmidt (No. 4 final season), and Giancarlo Stanton, who posted 17 GIDPs in 194 fewer plate appearances than Goldschmidt final yr.
Goldschmidt’s strikeout price can also be trending means up. After posting a career-low 18.6 Okay% in 2019, his strikeout price has elevated annually, reaching a career-high 26.5 in 2024. That quantity is up by 2.9 from 2023, and one other enhance like that may have him placing out in almost 30 p.c of his at-bats.
Signed to only a one-year deal, Goldschmidt is probably going a stopgap to get the Yankees to a run at Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on the finish of the 2025 season. Nevertheless, the Bombers might have gotten extra manufacturing by slotting Cody Bellinger into the primary base position or growing prospect Ben Rice into a possible buying and selling piece.
