Former Cardinals MVP Hitting ‘Like Tony Gwynn’ With Yankees Right Now

He's one of the hottest bats in Major League Baseball at the moment

Apr 7, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; New York Yankees baseball hats and gloves in the dugout out in the eighth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images | David Reginek-Imagn Images

A former National League MVP for the St. Louis Cardinals is taking a different approach at the plate for the New York Yankees in 2025, and he can’t stop hitting.

Ex-Cardinals slugger Paul Goldschmidt is slashing .371 with a .885 OPS entering Tuesday. Goldschmidt’s batting average is second in Major League Baseball — not bad for a 37-year-old.

When the Yanks signed Goldschmidt to a one-year, $12.5 million deal in December, they were hoping for solid production, but Goldschmidt has exceeded those hopes so far, and his surprising production might be due to his new style as a hitter, as noted by MLB.com’s Will Leitch.

“For most of last season, there was widespread speculation that Goldschmidt’s career might be coming to an end,” Leitch wrote.

“In the final year of his contract with the Cardinals -- with whom he was the 2022 NL MVP -- he struggled for most of the year. In 2024, Goldschmidt was batting under .200 as late as May 13, and while he recovered a bit after that, his final average (.245) was a career low.”

“Goldschmidt’s stronger second half (.271/.319/.480) helped earn him a one-year deal with the Yankees, where he has hit like … well, not exactly like his old MVP self -- more like a different player entirely.”

“The 37-year-old has only one homer this year, and his exit velocity, hard-hit rate and barrel rate are way down from 2024. He has only five doubles, so he really has become a singles hitter; it’s strange seeing Goldschmidt hit like Tony Gwynn. (Actually, Gwynn hit a lot more homers.)”

Leitch predicted that Goldschmidt could hit .300 this season. The seven-time All-Star is making his old team miss him a lot right now.

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