NEW YORK -- There is an expectation of greatness each time Aaron Judge comes to bat, a presence that casts a large shadow upon the Yankees lineup. It provides a cool, comfortable place for Paul Goldschmidt to operate, plugging away in the early stages of a resurgent season.
Goldschmidt may own the most-overlooked .361 batting average in the Majors, obscured by Judge’s nightly exploits.
Make no mistake: Goldschmidt can deliver in the big spots, too, belting a three-run homer Friday that powered the Yankees to a 3-0 victory over the Rays at Yankee Stadium.
"It’s a long season; I’d love to get a hit every time,” Goldschmidt said. “I’d love to hit as high an average, as many homers, as many wins as we can. We know there’s going to be ups and downs, so I think for me, a big part is really just not paying attention to it. It’s showing up and trying to put the work in to be prepared to help us win every day.”
Max Fried didn’t require much support, not on a night in which the freshly minted American League Pitcher of the Month limited Tampa Bay to one hit over seven scoreless innings. Fried improved to 6-0 with a 1.01 ERA as Devin Williams and Luke Weaver finished off a one-hit shutout.
Goldschmidt provided what Fried & Co. needed, muscling his third home run of the season into the right-field porch facing left-hander Mason Montgomery in the fifth inning. It marked consecutive games with a homer for Goldschmidt, who also went deep in the Bombers’ series finale at Baltimore on Wednesday and has hit safely in 22 of 26 games.
"I don’t know what pitch he’s going to throw, so I’m just trying to be ready to hit,” said Goldschmidt, who connected with a 98.6 mph fastball. “I know he throws hard, 100-plus miles an hour. So honestly for me, I was just trying to stay short to the ball, not try to do too much. Fortunately, I was able to get it out of there.”
Goldschmidt has been especially impressive against lefties – the homer off Montgomery marked his 18th hit in 30 at-bats (.600) against southpaws this season, including all three of his homers. The 37-year-old is also batting .448 (13-for-29) with runners in scoring position.
"Part of that is just being a smart hitter, being prepared and knowing what you’re looking for in different situations,” manager Aaron Boone said. “I think that’s where his experience pays off for him, coupled with the fact that -- yes, he’s on the older side, but he’s a specimen. He’s physical and there’s still a lot of power and fast-twitch [muscle].”
While Judge has been a modern-day Barry Bonds in all game situations, stroking a double and triple to notch his Major League-leading 16th multihit game on Friday, Goldschmidt -- whose 15 multihit games trail only Judge for second most in the Majors -- has enjoyed being able to fly under the radar.
"Everyone’s overshadowed by what he does,” Goldschmidt said of Judge. “He’s incredible; he has a 2-for-4 game and nobody even thinks about it. He’s awesome. He’s a great leader in here. He’s had a lot of big hits, big plays, and he’s so valuable. I’ve loved playing with him, and trying to pick his brain as much as possible.”
For those watching closely, though, Goldschmidt has not-so-quietly carried over last season’s second-half improvements with the Cardinals.
Goldschmidt’s numbers were trending downward through most of the campaign, but he finished on an encouraging note. Spraying the ball to all fields, Goldschmidt posted a more representative .804 OPS through his final 51 games with St. Louis, with whom he was named the 2022 National League Most Valuable Player.
"It’s way better to be on his team than playing against him, that’s for sure,” Fried said. “He’s always just a professional at-bat, no matter what his numbers are, whatever day of the week. You know when he comes up to the plate, he’s going to give you his best and you can’t take any pitches off.”
The Yankees saw that Goldschmidt’s bat speed ticked up and his strikeout rate fell -- indications there might be more in the tank. Yankees first basemen posted a league-worst .602 OPS last season and Goldschmidt’s demands (a one-year deal at $12.5 million) were relatively low-risk; thus far, it looks like a wise move for both sides.
"I’m not trying to feel validated; I’m just trying to play well,” Goldschmidt said. “I think I just created some bad habits where I almost had to be perfect swinging last year. It’s probably a little bit of an exaggeration, but I just struggled. For me, it was just trying to get back to those basics.
"I saw that if I could do that consistently … I know that if I can do those things right, I have a chance when I step in the box.”