Paul Goldschmidt turned 39 on Thursday, and the New York Yankees celebrated the milestone even as the veteran, former MVP has seen his everyday role reduced. The Yankees made the announcement in a social media post.
“Happy Birthday, Goldy!! Join us in wishing Paul a great day,” the Yankees wrote on their official social media channels, as “Goldy” continues to enjoy the respect of the Yankees clubhouse.
Goldschmidt was born in Wilmington, Delaware, in 1987, before his family moved to The Woodlands, Texas, where his father relocated the family flooring business. He starred at The Woodlands High School, helping the program to a state title in 2006, then played collegiately at Texas State University, where he earned Southland Conference Player of the Year honors in 2009. He married Amy Goldschmidt, whom he met as a freshman at Texas State, in 2010.
Paul Goldschmidt’s Path to the Bronx
The Los Angeles Dodgers selected him in the 49th round of the 2006 draft, but he opted not to sign. The Diamondbacks took him three years later in the eighth round for a $95,000 signing bonus, and he broke into the majors on August 1, 2011. Arizona employed him for eight seasons before a trade sent him to St. Louis ahead of 2019.
Across 16 major league seasons, Goldschmidt has assembled a resume that could one day earn him Cooperstown consideration. He has recorded seven All-Star selections, the 2022 National League MVP award, four Gold Gloves and five Silver Sluggers.
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Goldschmidt also collected two Hank Aaron Awards and led the National League in home runs and RBIs back in 2013. His career line sits at .286 with 2,272 hits, 390 home runs and 1,282 RBIs across stops with the Diamondbacks, Cardinals and Yankees.
New York signed him to a one-year deal in December 2024, then brought him back on a one-year, $4 million contract this past February, according to MLB.com coverage.
Goldschmidt’s Reduced Role Behind Ben Rice
The 2026 numbers tell a different story than the plaque case. Goldschmidt is hitting .252 with 18 homers and 50 RBIs in 98 games, a .772 OPS that trails his career mark by more than 100 points, according to CBS Sports’ stats. He has increasingly filled a platoon role against left-handed pitching, splitting time between first base, designated hitter and pinch-hitting duty as his everyday workload has thinned.
The reshuffling traces directly to Ben Rice, the 27-year-old converted catcher whose emergence has redefined the Yankees’ infield picture. Rice has started 52 games at first base while posting a .256 average, 36 home runs and 88 RBIs over 139 appearances, easily outproducing his elder teammate this season, per Pinstripes Nation’s breakdown of the position battle.
Goldschmidt has embraced the transition rather than resisting it, taking an active role mentoring Rice at a position the younger player only recently learned, according to a report from The Athletic. He has stayed productive in spot duty, including a three-hit, three-RBI outing with a home run during a 16-1 rout of Boston on Aug. 30, and he remains a dependable bat against southpaws even in a diminished workload.
New York’s lineup now leans on Rice as the everyday first baseman. Goldschmidt, meanwhile, spends his 39th birthday in a reserve capacity he has rarely occupied across a 16-year career, still drawing starts, still contributing off the bench, and mentoring the player who succeeded him.
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