Paul Goldschmidt

Paul Goldschmidt Bio

Paul Edward Goldschmidt (born September 10, 1987) is an American professional baseball first baseman who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks, St. Louis Cardinals, and New York Yankees, and he has also represented the United States in international competition. A seven-time MLB All-Star, Goldschmidt won the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 2022 and is widely regarded as one of the premier first basemen of his generation.

Early Life and Background

Paul Edward Goldschmidt was born on September 10, 1987, in Wilmington, Delaware, and grew up as a fan of the Houston Astros. His parents met at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York. His mother is Catholic and his father is Jewish, and Goldschmidt and his two younger brothers were raised Catholic. His Jewish great-grandparents, Paul and Ilse Goldschmidt, and his grandfather, Ernie, escaped Nazi Germany in 1938 before the Holocaust. Goldschmidt has spoken about the importance of understanding his family’s history on both sides.

The Goldschmidt family later moved from Wilmington to Dallas and then to Houston because of the flooring company his family owns. He grew up in The Woodlands, a community in the Greater Houston area, and attended The Woodlands High School, where he played for the school’s baseball team. Playing third base, he helped The Woodlands win the Texas state championship in 2006.

Path to Baseball

Lightly recruited out of high school, Goldschmidt enrolled at Texas State University to play college baseball for the Texas State Bobcats. He developed into one of the top hitters in the Southland Conference, earning conference hitter of the year honors in 2008 and 2009, conference player of the year in 2009, and third-team All-American recognition as a junior in 2009 after batting .352 with 18 home runs and 88 runs batted in (RBIs) in 57 games. He set Bobcat career records with 36 home runs and 179 RBIs during his time at Texas State.

The Los Angeles Dodgers selected Goldschmidt in the 49th round of the 2006 MLB draft as a long-shot prospect. Three years later, the Arizona Diamondbacks picked him in the eighth round, with the 246th overall selection, of the 2009 MLB draft. He signed with the Diamondbacks and received a $95,000 signing bonus, beginning a steady climb through the minor leagues that quickly established him as one of the organization’s brightest young hitters.

Paul Goldschmidt Career

Early Career (2011)

Goldschmidt began his professional career in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ minor league system, opening with the Missoula Osprey of the Rookie-level Pioneer League, where he batted .334 with 18 home runs and 62 RBIs in 74 games. His 18 home runs set a Missoula franchise record. The following year, playing for the Visalia Rawhide in the Class A-Advanced California League, he hit 35 home runs, the most among all Class A players, and was named the California League Most Valuable Player and the Arizona Diamondbacks Minor League Player of the Year.

In 2011, Goldschmidt played for the Mobile Bay Bears of the Class AA Southern League, batting .306 with 30 home runs and 94 RBIs through the end of July. He was again named the Diamondbacks’ player of the year and added Southern League Most Valuable Player honors. The Diamondbacks promoted him to the major leagues on August 1, 2011, and he recorded a base hit in his first MLB at-bat that day, followed by his first MLB home run the next day off San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum.

Arizona Diamondbacks Era (2011–2018)

Goldschmidt quickly became a fixture in the Diamondbacks’ lineup. In his rookie season, he batted .250 with eight home runs and 26 RBIs in 48 games, then delivered a memorable moment in the 2011 National League Division Series (NLDS) against the Milwaukee Brewers. In Game 3, he hit a grand slam to extend Arizona’s lead in its first victory of the series, becoming only the third rookie in MLB postseason history to hit a grand slam.

From 2013 through 2015, Goldschmidt emerged as one of baseball’s most complete players. In 2013, he was named an All-Star for the first time, won his first Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Awards, led the National League in home runs and RBIs, and finished as the runner-up for the NL Most Valuable Player Award behind Andrew McCutchen. He signed a five-year, $32 million contract covering 2014 through 2018, with a club option for 2019. In 2015, he batted .321 with 33 home runs and 110 RBIs, again finished second in NL MVP voting, this time behind Bryce Harper, and won his second Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Awards.

He continued to produce at an All-Star level in 2016, 2017, and 2018, earning All-Star selections in each season and adding Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Awards in 2017. On August 3, 2017, he hit three home runs in a game for the first time, and on September 13, 2017, he recorded his 1,000th career hit. In the 2017 NL Wild Card Game, his three-run home run in the first inning powered the Diamondbacks to an 11–8 win over the Colorado Rockies. He hit his 200th career home run on August 3, 2018, and after the 2018 season, Arizona traded him to the St. Louis Cardinals.

St. Louis Cardinals Era (2019–2024)

On December 5, 2018, the Diamondbacks traded Goldschmidt to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for Luke Weaver, Carson Kelly, Andy Young, and a Competitive Balance Round B pick in the 2019 MLB draft. On March 23, 2019, Goldschmidt and the Cardinals agreed to a five-year, $130 million contract extension spanning 2020 through 2024, which became the largest contract in franchise history. In his second game with the Cardinals, he hit three home runs and became the first player in major league history to hit three homers in either his first or second game with a new team.

His first Cardinals season included several memorable power displays, including a 465-foot home run that was the longest of his career and the longest at Busch Stadium during the Statcast era. He finished 2019 batting .260 with 34 home runs and 97 RBIs while posting the best fielding percentage among major league first basemen. In 2021, he won his fourth Gold Glove Award, one of a then-MLB-record five Cardinals to win Gold Gloves that season.

Goldschmidt’s 2022 campaign was his most celebrated. He opened the year with a 25-game hitting streak, tied for the third-longest by a Cardinal since 1963, and on May 23, 2022, he hit a walk-off grand slam in the tenth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays. He was named the starting first baseman for the National League in the All-Star Game, hit his first career All-Star home run, and on November 17, 2022, won his first National League Most Valuable Player Award, earning 22 of 30 first-place votes. He added a fifth Silver Slugger Award in 2022, giving him the all-time record for Silver Sluggers among first basemen. After the 2024 season, he became a free agent.

New York Yankees Era (2025)

On December 30, 2024, Goldschmidt signed a one-year, $12.5 million deal with the New York Yankees. In 2025, he appeared in 146 games for New York, batting .274 with 10 home runs, 45 RBIs, and five stolen bases in 534 plate appearances, providing steady veteran production at first base. On February 12, 2026, the Yankees re-signed him to a one-year, $4 million contract.

Notable Events and Milestones

Goldschmidt’s career is filled with signature moments, including three regular-season grand slams in 2013, his 1,000th career hit in 2017, his 250th career home run in 2021, his 1,000th career run and 300th career home run in 2022, and his 2,000th career hit in 2024. He became the first player in MLB history to play regular-season games in five different countries after appearing in the 2023 London Series, and he became the first player to represent the United States in three World Baseball Classics.

Paul Goldschmidt Career Wins

While Major League Baseball does not record individual wins for position players, Goldschmidt has built one of the most decorated résumés of any active first baseman, with awards spanning offense, defense, and overall value across multiple teams and seasons.

Awards and Honors Highlights

Goldschmidt is a seven-time MLB All-Star (2013–2018, 2022), a 2022 National League Most Valuable Player, a 2022 All-MLB First Team selection, a four-time Gold Glove Award winner (2013, 2015, 2017, 2021), a five-time Silver Slugger Award winner (2013, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2022), and a two-time National League Hank Aaron Award winner (2013, 2022). He led the National League in home runs and RBIs in 2013 and in slugging percentage and OPS in 2022, and he finished as the NL MVP runner-up in both 2013 and 2015.

Other Wins and Performances

Earlier in his career, Goldschmidt won the California League Most Valuable Player Award in 2010, the Southern League Most Valuable Player Award in 2011, and consecutive Arizona Diamondbacks Minor League Player of the Year awards in 2010 and 2011. He helped The Woodlands High School win the Texas state championship in 2006 and was a third-team All-American in 2009 at Texas State University. Internationally, he represented the United States in the 2017, 2023, and 2026 World Baseball Classics, winning a World Baseball Classic championship in 2017.

Paul Goldschmidt Family

Family Background and Racing Lineage

Goldschmidt’s family background is rooted in the Mid-Atlantic and Texas. His parents met at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, and his mother is Catholic while his father is Jewish. His Jewish great-grandparents, Paul and Ilse Goldschmidt, and his grandfather, Ernie, fled Nazi Germany in 1938 before the Holocaust, a history Goldschmidt has said he and his two younger brothers respect and learn from. The family operated a flooring company that took them from Wilmington, Delaware, to Dallas and eventually to the Houston area.

Personal Life

Goldschmidt met his wife, Amy, during his freshman year at Texas State University, and they married in October 2010. The couple has two children. Goldschmidt, who was raised Catholic, became an evangelical Protestant as an adult. In September 2013, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in management from the University of Phoenix. He previously owned a home in Scottsdale, Arizona, and in 2020 bought a home in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, where he has since resided. During his time with the Diamondbacks, he established a charity called Goldy’s Fund 4 Kids, which has hosted bowling events to raise money for Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

2025 Season Performance

In 2025, Goldschmidt’s first season with the New York Yankees, he served as a steady veteran presence at first base. He appeared in 146 games, batting .274 with a .328 on-base percentage and a .406 slugging percentage, while adding 10 home runs, 45 RBIs, and five stolen bases across 534 plate appearances. His on-base skills and plate discipline helped stabilize a Yankees lineup built around power hitting.

Although his home run totals were modest by his career standards, Goldschmidt delivered timely hitting and reliable defense at first base throughout the summer. He offered lineup flexibility as a left-handed bat with a track record of getting on base, and his veteran presence was credited with supporting a young pitching staff.

On February 12, 2026, the Yankees re-signed Goldschmidt to a one-year, $4 million contract, signaling the organization’s continued confidence in his production and leadership heading into the next season.