Paul Goldschmidt, the accomplished first baseman, is not yet ready to retire. He confirmed to Jon Heyman from the New York Post that he enjoys the game and plans to play for his 16th Major League season in 2026.
Career Highlights and Recent Performance
Goldschmidt, 38 years old, is a seven-time All-Star and has built an impressive career in baseball. He has a career batting average of .288 with an on-base percentage of .378 and a slugging percentage of .504. These statistics contribute to a weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+) of 137 and a Wins Above Replacement (bWAR) of 63.8, ranking him seventh among all active players.
- 372 home runs – third among active hitters
- 1,232 RBIs – second among active players
Goldschmidt made his mark during his eight seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks before being traded to the St. Louis Cardinals before the 2019 season. He had a standout year in 2022, winning the National League MVP Award by posting a .317 batting average, 35 home runs, and 115 RBIs in 151 games.
Challenges and Adjustments in 2025
Despite his stellar past, Goldschmidt’s performance has declined over the last two seasons. After recording a wRC+ of 175 during his MVP season, his performance slipped to 122 in 2023 and 100 in 2024. The Cardinals did not re-sign him, leading to a one-year contract with the New York Yankees worth $12.5 million.
In 2025, Goldschmidt had 534 plate appearances, where he posted a .274 batting average and a wRC+ of 103, indicating an average offensive performance. Notably, he adopted a more contact-oriented approach, reducing his strikeout rate from 26.5% to 18.7% and increasing contact on pitches in the strike zone from 79.8% to 86.0%.
Goldschmidt’s early 2025 season was promising as he hit .338 in 232 plate appearances by May. However, he faced challenges in June, hitting just .143. He finished the season hitting .261 from July onwards, resulting in a lower wRC+ of 87.
Defensive Performance and Market Outlook
Defensively, Goldschmidt had a mixed year, finishing with a -1 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and ranking ninth among first basemen. Statcast rated his Fielding Run Value at the 33rd percentile, indicating fluctuations in his defensive abilities.
As he approaches free agency, Goldschmidt’s age and declining offensive performance may complicate his prospects. The market for first basemen will highlight younger options like Pete Alonso, while Goldschmidt may be seen as a solid platoon player due to his effectiveness against left-handed pitchers, where he hit .336 with a wRC+ of 169 in 2025.
Overall, Goldschmidt’s future remains uncertain. However, if a team can limit his exposure to left-handed pitchers, he could still find a valuable role in Major League Baseball.
