Yankees veteran first basemen poised for bounce back 2025 

After three seasons with Anthony Rizzo manning first base for the New York Yankees, there’s a new face taking over the position. In the offseason, the Yankees signed 37-year-old Paul Goldschmidt to a one-year contract worth $12.5 million.

The veteran has been swinging the bat very well so far this spring, leading the team with three home runs. Goldschmidt has 10 hits through 31 at-bats with 10 RBI. What’s most impressive is that six of his 10 hits have gone for extra bases.

The 2022 NL MVP is coming off a season with two very distinct halves. In the first half of 2024, Goldschmidt looked like father time was catching up to him, hitting .230 with a .291 on-base percentage. After the All-Star break, Goldschmidt swung the bat better. Over the last 62 games, he hit .271 and was getting on base at a .319 clip. All season, most of his hits were going for extra bases, as he finished the season with 33 doubles and 22 home runs.

Compared to the league-average hitter, Goldschmidt flipped his season around. Through the first 92 games, his OPS+ was 13 points below the league average at 87. Through the last 62, it was 21 points higher than the league average at 121.

The biggest positive of Goldschmidt's addition is his availability. During Rizzo's last two years with the Yankees, he failed to reach a hundred games played in each season. Goldschmidt has played in at least 145 games in all but two seasons of his 14-year career (played in 55 out of 60 games in 2020). Day in and day out Goldschmidt should be available for the Yankees, whether that's by manning first or taking a turn in the DH slot. 

According to Baseball Reference, Goldschmidt is projected to finish the season with a .258 average and a .334 on-base percentage with 22 home runs and 71 RBI. If his strong finish to last season and hot start in spring training are any indication, Goldschmidt could blow those numbers out of the water.

If he does have a bounce-back campaign, Goldschmidt's batting average and on-base percentage could be about 20 points higher and it wouldn't be surprising to see him hit close to 30 home runs and 90 RBI.