The New York Yankees have had a great lineup in 2026. With the recent absence of star outfielder Aaron Judge, veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt has really picked up the slack.
Goldschmidt is Having a Fantastic Season
In a recent post by @justbaseballmedia, they pointed out Goldschmidt’s recent success.
In baseball, only three hitters are batting at least .280 with a 150 wRC+ in 100 or more at-bats: Goldschmidt, his teammate, Ben Rice, and Willson Contreras of the Boston Red Sox.
The rivalry seems quite alright with both sides sporting some serious production–even in a down year in Boston.
Goldschmidt, 38, is in the latter years of what’s sure to be a Hall of Fame career. Since he’s started to age, albeit gracefully, his role has shifted from full-time first baseman in St. Louis to a lefty specialist in The Bronx.
This season, ‘Goldy’ has a 1.292 OPS against the southpaws. His .582 OPS against righties pales in comparison. The Yankees have found a role for Goldschmidt, and it’s working to a tee.
MLB Reacts to Goldschmidt’s Career Renaissance
Here’s what people are saying:
Joe Randazzo: “Paul Goldschmidt grabbing his heart after tying the game. This is the baseball version of the Dark Knight Returns.”
PaceBall: “Paul Goldschmidt doing this for the Yankees while Aaron Judge is out would be massive for them as they battle the Rays in the AL East. Season Stats: 8 HR, 27 RBI, .274 AVG | .351 OBP | .877 OPS, #RepBX.”
MLB: “Paul Goldschmidt starts the scoring in Cleveland with a 2-run blast .”
Just Baseball Media: “Paul Goldschmidt is mashing in his 2nd season with the Yankees: .280 AVG, 8 HR, 26 RBI, .358 OBP, .538 SLG, .896 OPS, 150 wRC+.”
Yankeessource: “Since May 1st, Paul Goldschmidt is hitting .299/.364/.551 with a 156 wRC+ and 1.1 fWAR (118 PA).”
Gary Phillips: “Paul Goldschmidt has been really impressive so far this season. His wRC+ is up to 150, while his OPS is up to .896 after that 2-R HR in the first inning. #Yankees.”
Jared: “Paul Goldschmidt really started to get consistent ABs when Ben rice went down, and he hasn’t looked back since. Since may 3rd: 28 G, .313/.376/.556/.932, 6 HR, 20 RBIs, 1.1 fWAR, 161 WRC+. This team would be significantly worse without Paul Goldschmidt, who’s being paid 4 million dollars.”
The Yankees Need to Stay Consistent
With the recent injury of Judge, and the Yankees in the midst of a tough battle for the AL East, players like Goldschmidt must remain productive.
The rest of the lineup has made contributions, too.
Outfielder Trent Grisham, who started very cold, has heated up as of late.
The left-handed-hitting outfielder has his slashline up to .227/.340/.403. Good for an OPS+ of 108 on the year. After his abysmal offering in the first month, that’s quite the leap.
Cody Bellinger has also been exactly what New York needs him to be. His combination of power, speed, defense, and consistency has led to production that equals almost anyone across baseball. So much so that fans in the Big Apple are questioning if Los Angeles’ Kyle Tucker was ever worth his big payday.
The Rays have continued to play a scrappy brand of baseball that rivals the Guardians. If New York wants to sit atop the AL East throne come September, they’ll need all hands on deck.
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