NEW YORK — Everyone keeps waiting for the Yankees offense to sag without Aaron Judge. Paul Goldschmidt keeps making sure it does not.
The veteran first baseman crushed a three-run home run against the White Sox on Wednesday, his second long ball in as many nights. The blast was another reminder that, at 38, Goldschmidt has rediscovered the power that once made him an MVP.
For a lineup missing its biggest names, his bat has become a lifeline.
Another big swing in the Bronx
Goldschmidt delivered the knockout blow in the fifth inning for the Yankees. With two runners aboard, he drove a ball to right field for a three-run homer that pushed the lead to 9-3.
It was a near-repeat of the night before. Goldschmidt had launched a two-run shot in the fourth inning of the Yankees’ 12-2 win over the White Sox on Tuesday, then followed with the three-run drive on Wednesday’s 10-5 victory.
The back-to-back power displays have come at the perfect moment. The Yankees have leaned heavily on Goldschmidt while several regulars sit on the injured list.
Already past last year’s total
The latest homer carried added significance for the Yankees. It was Goldschmidt’s 11th of the season, and it arrived in just his 47th game.
That total already tops the 10 home runs he hit across 146 games a year ago. He has reached the mark in less than a third of the time.
Goldschmidt is also up to 36 RBIs, and his power numbers are trending toward his best in years. His .560 slugging percentage and .928 OPS would each be his highest since his MVP campaign with the Cardinals in 2022.
MVP-level production at 38
The broader picture shows just how valuable Goldschmidt has been for the Yankees. He is producing at an All-Star level deep into his career.
Among first basemen with at least 160 at-bats, Goldschmidt ranks first in batting average at .301 and second in slugging at .560. He also sits fourth in weighted runs created plus at 157 and fifth in OPS at .928.
His .922 OPS ranks 12th among all players with at least 180 plate appearances. Stretched over a full season, his current pace projects to roughly 37 home runs, 124 RBIs, and a .297 average, numbers that would rank among the best of his Hall of Fame-caliber career.
A bargain bet pays off
Goldschmidt’s surge is all the more striking given how he arrived for the Yankees. He came cheap, and with real questions attached.
After a strong start to 2025, Goldschmidt faded badly, hitting just .223 with a .604 OPS over his final 90 games. He finished that year with a .274 average, 10 homers, and a .731 OPS, some of the weakest full-season power numbers of his career.
The Yankees still brought him back on a one-year, $4 million deal, viewing him as a potential platoon piece and a veteran presence. Forced into everyday duty by injuries, he has instead played like a middle-of-the-order force.
Power against both sides
One of the most encouraging signs for the Yankees is the balance in Goldschmidt’s production. He is doing damage against everyone.
Of his 11 home runs, six have come against right-handed pitching and five against lefties. That marks a clear improvement from last season, when his effectiveness against left-handers faded as the year wore on.
The renewed pop against righties has been especially important. It has allowed the Yankees to keep Goldschmidt in the lineup every day rather than limiting him to a platoon role.
A swing reborn through change
Analysts have searched for what has fueled Goldschmidt’s revival with the Yankees. Some mechanical tweaks appear to be behind it.
Interestingly, Goldschmidt is posting the lowest average exit velocity, hard-hit rate, and bat speed of his career. He is also chasing and whiffing more than he did last season, yet the homers keep coming.
The key seems to be his launch. Goldschmidt is pulling the ball in the air at by far the highest rate of his career, aided by upticks in his barrel rate, launch angle, and expected slugging.
Baseball Savant data shows he is no longer standing as deep in the batter’s box, with a slightly wider, less open stance. He is also making contact further out in front, helping him lift and pull pitches for power.
A blessing for a banged-up lineup
Whatever the cause, the Yankees are reaping the rewards of Goldschmidt’s throwback season. He has turned back the clock for an offense that keeps losing pieces.
With the lineup growing younger and thinner amid each new injury, Goldschmidt has provided steady, veteran thump. His ability to anchor the middle of the order has helped the Yankees keep winning without Judge and others.
Whether the production holds all season remains an open question, given his second-half slide a year ago. But even if it cools, Goldschmidt has already proven a bargain for the Yankees.
On Wednesday, his three-run blast was simply the latest answer to a question the team keeps being asked: how do the Yankees keep scoring without their stars?
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
