Yankees 'Should Expect' Former Cardinals Slugger To Ignite Power Surge

Another former St. Louis Cardinals fan favorite is off to a hot start with his new team but could be far from reaching his full potential at the plate.

Watching former Cardinals players, such as Los Angeles Dodgers utility man Tommy Edman, thrive after joining another club has sadly become a common occurrence for die-hard St. Louis fans over the last decade.

A former beloved Cardinals star who joined the New York Yankees this past winter could soon be headed for an offensive power surge, helping the Bronx Bombers achieve their goal of winning the American League East this season.

"(Paul) Goldschmidt is in the midst of a rebound season, hitting .365 with a .417 on-base percentage," MLB.com's Brian Murphy wrote Tuesday. "Each of those marks ranks among the top five in the American League. His batted-ball quality is a step down from previous years, but his ability to make contact has never been better; Goldschmidt has lowered his strikeout and whiff rates by about seven percentage points. His strong start has been a boon for the Yankees, who lead the AL East despite a bevy of pitching injuries and with only three qualified hitters boasting at least an .800 OPS (Goldschmidt, Aaron Judge, Ben Rice)."

Goldschmidt landed a one-year, $12.5 million deal with the Yankees over the offseason after batting .245 with 56 extra-base hits including 22 home runs, 65 RBIs and a .716 OPS in 154 games played for the Cardinals in 2024 -- his worst offensive campaign throughout his illustrious 15-year career.

"Can this continue?" Murphy wrote. "There is definitely some regression coming for Goldschmidt, who has benefited from a .451 BABIP (Batting Average on Balls in Play), the third highest in the Majors. But if he keeps the strikeouts down, he's going to maintain a solid batting line. Plus, after nine consecutive full seasons with at least 20 homers, we should expect Goldschmidt's power to awaken at some point."

Although Goldschmidt hasn't hit a home run since Mar. 29th against the Milwaukee Brewers, some believe the five-time Silver Slugger is on the verge of performing at a similar level to his impressive 2022 National League MVP campaign.

Regardless, the five-time Silver Slugger is batting .361, trailing Aaron Judge with 39 hits -- the second most by any player -- eight doubles, 10 RBIs and a .875 OPS in 29 games played for the Yankees this year. If Goldschmidt remains healthy, it wouldn't be shocking to witness him return to belting home runs as he once did earlier in his career.

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