The New York Yankees had to switch to offseason plan B when when superstar Juan Soto signed a 15-year, $765 million contract with their crosstown rival, the New York Mets last December. That's when the Yankees inked a modest, $12.5 million, one-year contract with St. Louis Cardinals veteran infielder Paul Goldschmidt: and boy has it paid off.
Goldschmidt, who has been in the league since 2011, first with the Arizona Diamondbacks and later with the Cardinals, was coming off of one of the worst seasons of his career. His batting average (.245) was lower than even his first season in the MLB, as was his on base percentage (.302) and slugging percentage (.214). The decline is expected in older players, though the numbers were certainly disappointing for a former NL MVP and seven-time All-Star.
With the Yankees, however, the tables have turned for Goldschmidt. His numbers are way, way up with a .347 batting average, .404 OBP and .495 slugging percentage in 55 games. He's become a crucial member of the Yankees' starting lineup. Goldschmidt's defensive stats are impressive, too, especially for a team that has been plagued by defensive struggles and injuries like the Yankees. He boasts 327 putouts out of 362 total chances, securing the Pinstripes at first base.
"Getting to see it up close and personal, it's been really impressive," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said about Goldschmidt. "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."
Part of what has made Goldschmidt so successful in New York is that the Yankees have the kind of bullpen that allows for players to get rest when they need it. Because the hitting rotation has so many successful players, including captain Aaron Judge, newcomer Ben Rice and heavy hitter Trent Grisham, Goldschmidt gets more days off than other players in his position.
According to analysis done by insider Mike Axisa, Goldschmidt performs better when he hasn't played the previous day for whatever reason, be it team travel, weather issues or the team choosing to rest him. Goldschmidt is embracing the change of pace he said in an interview shared on MLB.com.
"For most of my career, I was playing every day," Goldschmidt said. "Coming here, it's a little bit of a different role. I've just tried to embrace that. It was exciting for something new."
