New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone lauded one of his players for his selfless actions. Baseball is a team game and, well, no one really wins alone.
Teamwork is a necessity. Even the Yankees, the most storied franchise in MLB history, possess 27 championships on the backs of a collective effort. Now, one of their veterans provided a new definition to the phrase “teamwork makes the dream work.”
Yankees Manager Aaron Boone Praised Paul Goldschmidt for Putting the Team First
After playing more than 2,000 games, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, a seven-time All-Star, brings a love of the game and a willingness to compete. He helps the Yankees as much as possible. Goldschmidt hasn’t started since Friday. Yet, that didn’t deter the former MVP from offering to run the bases as a pinch-runner.
Down 2-1 to the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday entering the Yankees’ half of the eighth inning, designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton singled to left. It moved first baseman Ben Rice to third. Goldschmidt entered the game for Stanton as a pinch-runner at first base. Third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. followed with a double to right-center, scoring both Rice and Goldschmidt.
The 15-year MLB veteran scored the winning run as the Yankees won 4-2, taking two of three games from the Orioles. After the game, Boone could not believe the level of team-first passion within Goldschmidt. SportsNet New York Yankees’ Twitter account provided the manager’s reaction.
“That’s a guy in his late-30s, that’s probably going to the Hall of Fame. Probably going to the All-Star Game this year. Isn’t playing a second day in a row and the guy’s ready to go in and pinch-run and do that. That’s freakin’ humility.”
– Aaron Boone on Paul Goldschmidt pic.twitter.com/UI0yrm7Fia
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) June 22, 2025
“That’s a guy in his late 30s who’s probably going to the Hall of Fame,” Boone said. “Probably going to the All-Star Game this year. He isn’t playing a second day in a row, and the guy’s ready to go in and pinch-run and do that. That’s freakin’ humility.”
At 37, Goldschmidt is not that fast on the basepaths these days. Somehow, he’s managed to run the bases intelligently. The last time that Goldschmidt was caught stealing was July 11, 2023, when he played for the St. Louis Cardinals. Since then, Goldschmidt has succeeded on his last 21 consecutive stolen base attempts.
The Yankees had hoped that Rice would become the team’s everyday first baseman. A left-handed hitter with pop (13 home runs), Rice tantalized New York with his ability to hit the long ball. However, his struggling plate discipline (55 strikeouts/21 walks) and lack of range at first (7.91 range factor), according to Baseball Reference, has not been good.
Rice apparently does not move well on ground balls. Range factor is a metric that is the sum of putouts and assists divided by innings played.
Meanwhile, Goldschmidt chugs along with a .298 average, eight home runs, 32 RBIs, and a .358 on-base percentage. Additionally, Goldschmidt boasts a range factor of 7.98. With his contract expiring at the end of this season, Goldschmidt could be a sought-after free agent by a number of MLB teams. For now, Goldschmidt just wants to contribute to his team’s victories.