2025 Fantasy Baseball: Paul Goldschmidt Profile, Preview, Predictions
In this story:
Paul Goldschmidt enters 2025 with a fading approach and a lower power ceiling. The New York Yankees signed him in the offseason to add length to their lineup.
Paul Goldschmidt goes deep for his first #SpringTraining home run as a Yankee! pic.twitter.com/swK6fO1Y1Z
— MLB (@MLB) March 4, 2025
1B – Paul Goldschmidt, NYY (ADP – 177.0)
When a top player hits the twilight of his career, his approach should show the direction of his bat. Last season, Goldschmidt experienced further erosion in his game. His strikeout rate (26.5) was his highest since his rookie season (177 plate appearances) in 2011 (29.9%). In addition, his once edge in walk rate (7.2 – 12.7) has left the building as more pitchers feel confident going after him at the plate. He finished last season with the lowest batting average (.245) of his career, and Goldschmidt saw his contact batting average (.345) fall well below his spike season in 2022 (.424).
He scored fewer than 15 runs in all six months in 2024 while driving in more than 11 runs only once (August – 14). His RBI rate (12) ranked with leadoff hitters. Goldschmidt held his own at the plate vs. left-handed pitching (.295/26/5/16 over 146 at-bats).
His groundball rate (43.0) was his highest since 2017 (46.3) and has risen for four consecutive seasons. Goldschmidt still ranked well in exit velocity (91.2 mph – 42nd) and hard-hit rate (49.6 – 21st) when making contact.
Fantasy Outlook: There are hints in Goldschmidt’s profile that he may not be fantasy roadkill in 2025. The Yankees gave him $12.5 million for one season, and the value shoppers at first base will take one last dance at a discount. He’ll hit in a premium part of the batting order, not far from Aaron Judge. Any rebound starts with regaining his lost approach. Volume of playing time will be his friend, so a .250/75/80/10 season seems fair for his current draft value.
RANKINGS
Top 5 Catchers | Catchers 6-10 | Catchers 11-15
Top 5 First Basemen | First Basemen 6-10 | First Basemen 11-15
Top 5 Second Basemen | Second Basemen 6-10 | Second Basemen 11-15
Top 5 Shortstops | Shortstops 6-10 | Shortstops 11-15
Top 5 Third Basemen | Third Basemen 6-10 | Third Basemen 11-15
With 20+ years of experience in the high-stakes fantasy market, I aim to research and compete at the highest level in baseball and football each season. I've contributed as a writer/analyst for Sports Draft Daily, ScoutPro, Scout Fantasy, Fulltime Fantasy, FFToolbox, and Sports Illustrated Fantasy. I'm honored to be in the National Fantasy Baseball Championship Hall of Fame. My drafting philosophy is risk-averse yet open to betting on potential game-changers. I approach player selection with a neutral perspective, acknowledging that fantasy sports are inherently unpredictable due to injuries, performance dips, and managerial decisions. My work focuses on these main areas: - Season-long fantasy baseball and football - BestBall Baseball and Football Events - Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS): DraftKings, FanDuel, and Underdog - Long Shot Player Prop Parlays for NFL I participate in various leagues and contests, including NFBC, NFFC, RTSports, FFPC, DraftKings, Underdog Fantasy, FanDuel, and FFWC, with the goal of leveraging my extensive experience and research for success in each game format. A fantasy follower can expect in-depth profiles of NFL and MLB players, along with season-long and weekly projections for each fantasy football season. In addition, I have many strategy articles to help develop fantasy players' learning curves.
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