38-year-old veterans, especially those on one-year contracts, are rarely viewed as everyday contributors to a lineup. New York Yankee first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, though, is proof that age is merely a number.
In early February, the Yankees re-signed Goldschmidt to a one-year, $4 million deal. With Ben Rice emerging as one of baseball’s best first basemen in 2025, Goldschmidt was essentially signing up to back up his 27-year-old counterpart and platoon against left-handers.
However, through 40 games, Goldschmidt hasn’t provided backup-level production. Rather, the former National League MVP has played his best baseball since that 2022 season.
An Inconsistent 2025 Season
Before the 2025 season, Goldschmidt signed a one-year, $12.5 million deal to be the Yankees’ starting first baseman. With Anthony Rizzo pondering retirement and Rice’s 2024 campaign not moving the needle, Goldschmidt was viewed as a perfect fit for the Yankees.
Through May, Goldschmidt was exactly that. In the first 56 games of the season, Goldschmidt hit .338 with an .889 OPS and 28 RBI. However, he hit .143 in June, and he finished the year with a .274 average and a .731 OPS.
Those numbers were certainly respectful for an aging veteran. However, following Rice’s breakout 2025 season, it became clear that Goldschmidt’s days as the Yankees’ everyday first baseman were over.
A Career Resurgence
Goldschmidt’s 2026 season began much like his 2025 campaign ended. In April, he hit .174 in nine games. Rice hit .321 that month, leaving Golschmidt in an even deeper hole. However, when April ended, injuries hit the Yankees like a freight train.
Giancarlo Stanton and Jasson Dominguez, the Yankees’ top two DH options, each landed on the IL. The two have yet to return, but Goldschmidt has filled their spots admirably.
In May, the 38-year-old hit .289 with five home runs and 15 RBI in 24 games. He’s carried his hot play into June with a .333 average and 1.000 OPS in six games, while collecting hits in 11 of his past 12 games.
Thankfully, the underlying numbers back up Goldschmidt’s performance. With an xwOBA, xBA, and xSLG all in the 82nd percentile or better, Goldschmidt has proved this isn’t a lucky stretch of baseball.
What the Future Holds
Goldschmidt turns 39 in September, so his days as an elite, power-hitting first baseman are behind him. However, the Yankees don’t need the prime version of himself to succeed. As the team weathers its injury storm, Goldschmidt is filling his role perfectly, something that likely lands him in Cooperstown down the road.
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