Just a few questions into his introductory Zoom call, Paul Goldschmidt provided a scouting report on himself.
“I really just try to focus on the things I can control,” the Yankees’ new first baseman said Thursday. “There’s a ton of ups and downs in this game.”
For Goldschmidt, much of last season represented a down, as he hit .245/.302/.414 with 22 home runs, 65 RBI and a 1.1 fWAR over 154 games for the Cardinals. Each part of his slash line registered a career-low, as did his league-average 100 wRC+. With numerous contact metrics also slipping for the second straight season, many wondered if age had caught up to the 37-year-old Goldschmidt, the 2022 National League MVP, long before he agreed to a one-year, $12.5 million deal with the Yankees last month.
“I didn’t perform my best at all,” Goldschmidt, a seven-time All-Star and five-time Silver Slugger, acknowledged.
Most of the right-handed swinger’s struggles came in the first half, as he slashed .230/.291/.373 with 13 homers, 37 RBI and 114 strikeouts over 92 games. However, Goldschmidt made some changes to his mechanics and mental approach at the plate before hitting .271/.319/.480 with nine dingers, 28 RBI and 59 strikeouts over 62 contests in the second half.
Goldschmidt didn’t want to share too many specifics on the tweaks he made, but he noted that “something was a little off” with his swing. That created “bad habits” and often left him in a poor position to hit.
“I was just struggling to find that. It just took me longer than it ever has to get back to it,” Goldschmidt said. “Trying different things, different drills, I kind of figured out some things that worked for me and some things that didn’t work.”
Goldschmidt, who described himself as a “simple hitter,” also felt that pitchers were attacking him differently and that he was being too patient. He hit with two strikes in 383 at-bats in 2024, setting a career-high.
“I didn’t play well most of the year last year, and there’s no excuses for that,” Goldschmidt said. “That was on me. But looking back, I know there are a lot of things that I learned in that first half, some things that I did wrong that got exposed. I wasn’t hitting pitches that, for most of my career, I’ve been able to connect on.”
Goldschmidt, who began his career with the Diamondbacks, repeatedly noted that he played below his own expectations last year. But he’s also confident that the modifications he made can carry into his debut season with the Yankees — and help him fight off Father Time.
“I think I can still play at a really, really high level,” said Goldschmidt, who isn’t sure how many seasons he has left before retirement. “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.”
While the Yankees would love a bounce-back from Goldschmidt after losing Juan Soto’s bat to the Mets in free agency, they’re also not expecting the veteran to completely turn back the clock and hit like an MVP again. In all honesty, a repeat of Goldschmidt’s 2024 campaign would give the Yankees a huge uptick in production at first base after the position, primarily manned by Anthony Rizzo, Ben Rice and DJ LeMahieu, netted the team a 76 wRC+, a -1.1 fWAR and an MLB-worst .619 OPS last season.
Rizzo, two years younger than Goldschmidt, wanted to stay with the Yankees. Instead, he remains a free agent after the team paid him a $6 million buyout following two injury-riddled seasons.
Goldschmidt also presents a defensive upgrade at first, though the four-time Gold Glover isn’t the fielder he used to be either.
For all the talk of his individual game on Thursday, Goldschmidt said that he’s thrilled to be on a team with championship aspirations. The Yankees are coming off a World Series loss to the Dodgers. Meanwhile, the Cardinals failed to make the playoffs the last two years.
As a first-time free agent, Goldschmidt said that going to a team that can win the Fall Classic was “the top priority” as he nears the end of his career. He’s also looking forward to playing alongside fellow MVPs Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Cody Bellinger as the Yankees try to remain a top offensive team without Soto.
“I’d love to play amazing, and I’d love for the team to play amazing and win the whole thing,” Goldschmidt said. “I mean, that’s where my mindset is at. Of course I’d love to have a great individual year, but most importantly, it’s about the team. That’s always how I’ve been. Even just growing up, my parents wouldn’t have it any other way.”
