Why is Paul Goldschmidt Batting Leadoff For Yankees vs. Red Sox Today?

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Why is Paul Goldschmidt batting leadoff for the Yankees against the Red Sox today? Here’s the reasoning behind the lineup decision.

Paul Goldschmidt leads off for the New York Yankees again Saturday because Boston is starting a left-hander, not because he hit the game-winning home run on Friday.

The leadoff spot has been Goldschmidt’s best lineup position all year. He’s batting .272 with an .897 OPS, eight home runs and 17 RBI in 31 games hitting first this season, production that outpaces every other pot in the order he’s occupied.

Since New York added infielder Luis García Jr. in early August, Goldschmidt has turned into an almost pure lefty specialist, and Saturday’s matchup against Jake Bennett keeps both trends rolling in the middle of a pivotal four-game series. Saturday’s Game 1 lineup has Goldschmidt at first base, followed by Ben Rice at designated hitter, Amed Rosario, Heliot Ramos, Cody Bellinger, George Lombard Jr., José Caballero, Spencer Jones and Ali Sánchez, with Carlos Rodón on the mound.

Paul Goldschmidt’s History Against Jake Bennett

Boston sends rookie left-hander Jake Bennett to open Saturday’s day-night doubleheader at Yankee Stadium, and the early-season history slightly favors the home lineup. Goldschmidt is 0-for-2 in his only previous plate appearances against Bennett. That single meeting came June 27 at Fenway Park, when Bennett spun 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball in a Red Sox win.

Bennett has cooled off since that start, going 6-3 with a 4.61 ERA across his last nine outings after starting the year 8-6 with a 3.49 ERA overall.

Goldschmidt’s career against left-handed pitching tells a far different story than his tiny sample against Bennett. He carries a .324 average and a 1.007 OPS against lefties for his career, with 108 home runs in that split, according to MLB.com.

Friday night made the case in real time. Goldschmidt batted leadoff against Boston starter Patrick Sandoval and drove a 430-foot homer to left-center in the third inning, the only run New York needed in a 1-0 win, according to the Associated Press account of the series opener. Cody Bellinger’s 99.7 mph throw cut down Ceddanne Rafaela at the plate in the seventh to preserve it, while Cam Schlittler struck out eight over 5 2/3 innings for the win.

Manager Aaron Boone credited the process afterward.

“He’s just been ready, a pro and he delivered in a big way tonight,” Boone said, as quoted by the New York Post.

“I’ve had a lot of different roles this year, but that’s what they want me to do, so I’m happy to do it,” Goldschmidt said, according to the Post.

Paul Goldschmidt’s Path to the Bronx

Goldschmidt, a Wilmington, Delaware, native, didn’t take the direct route to stardom. Arizona drafted him in the eighth round out of Texas State University in 2009, and he debuted in the majors two years later. St. Louis acquired him in a December 2018 trade, and he won the National League MVP award with the Cardinals in 2022 before signing with New York in December 2024 and re-upping on a one-year deal this past February.

Across 16 major league seasons, Goldschmidt has hit .286 with 389 home runs, 1,277 RBI and 2,266 hits, numbers that rank him among the most productive first basemen of his generation, according to career totals compiled by StatMuse.

His overall season line sits at .247 with 17 homers and 45 RBI in 308 at-bats, held down by rough matchups against right-handers — precisely why Bennett and the leadoff spot line up so well for him Saturday.

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