Paul Goldschmidt opens up about how he’s ‘hurting’ the Yankees

Paul Goldschmidt got off to an incredible start in his debut season with the New York Yankees. The seven-time All-Star was posting eye-popping stats as New York dominated the division over the first two months of play. But both Goldschmidt and the Yankees are mired in a June swoon, highlighted by Saturday’s 7-0 loss to the Athletics.

Following the disheartening defeat, Goldschmidt addressed his recent performance. “It’s hurt our team the way I’ve played this month,” he said, per SNY Yankees Videos. “I feel fine but I’ve not played well for the last few weeks, maybe even this whole month,” Goldschmidt acknowledged.

“That’s part of the game, working to see if there’s adjustments to be made and trying to show up every day and perform… just try to help us win,” he added.

Paul Goldschmidt and the Yankees are slumping

Goldschmidt’s scorching-hot start to the season put the former NL MVP in the All-Star Game conversation. Through May he was slashing an impressive .333/.387/.480 as he rebounded from a down year with the Cardinals in 2024. But Goldschmidt came crashing back to earth in June. He's slashed a paltry .143/.214/.247 in 22 games this month, adding just 2 home runs and 4 RBI.

After a 1-4 showing against the Athletics Saturday, the 15th-year veteran is now hitting .285 with a .770 OPS on the season. He has 8 home runs, 32 RBI and 49 runs scored with 1.5 bWAR through 80 games. Not bad for a 37 year old who's playing on a one-year, $12.5 million deal. But nowhere near the sensational stats from earlier this season.

And, of course, it’s not just Goldschmidt who’s struggling. The entire team is in a deep funk. Even reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge has dropped off in June as his batting average fell 43 points this month, from .398 at the end of May to .354 following an 0-3 showing Saturday.

The sputtering offense has obviously impacted the team. When the Yankees travelled to Boston to take on the Red Sox in mid June, New York was 20 games above .500 and firmly in control of the AL East. But a three-game sweep by the Red Sox kicked off a rough stretch for the Yankees.

New York has gone just 5-10 since June 13. The Yankees’ historic offensive production from earlier in the season is a distant memory as the team has been shut out in four of the last 15 games. The Yankees now cling to a half-game division lead.