RADIO
Paul Goldschmidt a High-Upside Power Bat to Roster with Increased Playing Time
New York Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt opened the 2026 season in a bench role and saw little playing time early on, logging just 33 plate appearances through the end of April. However, injuries to Yankees sluggers Giancarlo Stanton (calf) and Aaron Judge (rib) have opened up an opportunity for the veteran to emerge as a key piece of his team's lineup. Across 156 plate appearances on the year, Goldschmidt is hitting .281/.359/.525 with eight home runs, 27 RBI, 23 runs scored, and one stolen base. His underlying power metrics have bounced back after a down year in 2025, as his barrel rate is up from 7.9% to 11.9%. Goldschmidt has also batted no lower than third in the Yankees' lineup in eight straight games, logging nine RBI in that span. New York may have a tough time fitting all three of Goldschmidt, Stanton, and Ben Rice in the lineup once Stanton returns. Still, Stanton remains on the shelf for now, and Goldschmidt's production is impossible to ignore. He profiles as a priority waiver wire target for fantasy managers for as long as he's in an everyday role.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
