After having his worst season in 2024, Paul Goldschmidt, the New York Yankees’ first baseman, has become a reemerging star in 2025, playing a vital role for New York.
That success had translated to better statistics and more wins, giving the Yankees a game-and-a-half lead over the Tampa Bay Rays and a two-game lead over the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East division.
Let’s take a look at how “Goldy” has contributed to the early success of New York.
While the Yankees’ hitters generally want to live up to the “Bronx Bombers” name by swinging for the fences, Goldschmidt believes more in intelligent and accurate hitting than just hitting for power. So, how does he still do that at the age of 37?
Goldschmidt followed the rest of New York’s lineup by utilizing their own crafted, and perfectly legal, “torpedo bats”. The question is, how much do these bats factor into his amazing 2025 season?
Obviously, the batter still has to hit the ball, as the bat doesn’t swing by itself. At least, science hasn’t yet figured out that portion of the program.
With a scientific approach to swinging, Goldschmidt can look at his career low exit velocity off the bat as a way to remind himself he’s hitting more line drives that are guaranteed singles in the MLB.
The sweet-spot rate is a helpful stat that tells us how often an MLB player hits a ball at an angle of 8-32 degrees. If they do, that’s an excellent spot to be in. If it’s under eight degrees, the ball is in play. Hit it over 32 degrees, then that ball is being popped up for an easy out.
For most of the year, Goldschmidt has been averaging between 8 and 32 degrees, and this is reflected in his line drive rate, which came in at 25.5% for the 2025 season. Balls that have been hit in the sweet spot range have resulted in a .592 batting average along with a 1.101 OPS.
When it’s all been studied and analyzed, the data shows here that Goldschmidt has improved production because his exit velocity results in more line drives for contact.
His projected batting average is .305, while the expected slugging percentage is .505. These statistics are based on a combination of exit velocity, launch angle, and other factors.
Additionally, he has lowered his strikeout rate to a career-low 15.5%, which is notably better than when he was crowned the 2022 NL MVP. Goldy’s was then producing a 90% contact rate when swinging in the strike zone.
As people age, and they experience pain, the healing process typically takes a bit longer than when they were younger. Just like everyday working-class people, baseball players are human too, and they experience pain due to injuries.
Now, the 37-year-old, thanks to “load management,” has the advantage of having medical days off to give his aging body a few days to recover. It has been part of the Yankees’ plan to keep him healthy and successful throughout the year.
Also, with a loaded bench, the Bombers have (1B) Ben Rice, who can fill in for Goldschmidt if he feels he needs a day off.
Whether it’s due to load management, more line drive hitting, or even less exit velocity, Goldschmidt has returned to his 2022 MVP form in 2025, performing even better than during that season.
He’s only on a one-year contract, but so far, he’s had the best year of his career, and if the Yankees are smart, they will sign him for another one-year deal.
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