The Yankees are in a brutal stretch right now, and Paul Goldschmidt is right in the middle of it. On Tuesday against the Rays, he struck out four times and went hitless again, extending his slump to 0-for-30 over nine games. That puts him on a list you don’t want to be on.
According to Talkin’ Yanks, Goldschmidt became just the eighth Yankee since 1970 to go hitless in 30 straight at-bats. The others? Aaron Hicks in 2022, Didi Gregorius in 2018, Russell Martin in 2012, Jason Giambi in 2004, Derek Jeter in 2004, Willie Randolph in 1988, and Jim Wynn in 1977. Not exactly the company you want to keep when you were brought in to be a sparkplug.
It feels like a lifetime ago, but when Giancarlo Stanton first went down with a calf injury, Goldschmidt was carrying the offense. He posted a .918 OPS during that stretch, keeping the lineup dangerous even without Stanton. Then Aaron Judge got hurt, and the burden got heavier. And then the bottom just fell out.
This isn’t just a bad week. Tuesday marked his ninth straight game without a hit, covering the entire Twins and Tigers series. The whole team has been in a funk — they lost nine of ten before scraping out a 4-1 win Monday night — but Goldschmidt’s slide has been especially painful to watch. He went from being the guy keeping things afloat to the guy who can’t buy a hit.
The Rays, meanwhile, have taken full advantage. They jumped into first place in the AL East, and Tuesday’s win — with a little help from Goldschmidt’s cold bat — only widened the gap.
The Yankees are sending four players to the All-Star Game, including rookie first baseman Ben Rice. But you can bet the whole locker room is counting down the days until the break, just hoping a few days off can reset things. Goldschmidt probably needs that breather more than anyone.
The series continues Wednesday at 6:40 p.m. in Tampa. Maybe a new day brings a different story at the plate.
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