Few people in baseball have been as close to Paul Goldschmidt as Turner Ward. Turner Ward managed first base in the minors and served as a hitting coach at two different positions in the majors.
That includes the past three seasons in St. Louis, starting with the 2022 season when Goldschmidt won MVP and ending in 2024 when the first baseman was below average.
Now, Goldschmidt is trying to help the Yankees make up for the loss of Juan Soto.
Ward, who was not retained by the Cardinals after the season, believes Goldschmidt will return to being the feared hitter he was for most of his career despite being 37 years old.
“In the last six weeks of the season, he went back to simplifying things,” Ward said by phone. “Hitting to the tee, things like that. His swings were out of order and overdone all last season. Personally, I have no doubt he can get back to being the hitter he was.”
This past year was Goldschmidt's worst season, with his typical decline in performance, including a spike in strikeouts and fewer walks.
Ward pointed to Goldschmidt's constant desire to learn more about his swing and technique as part of the problem.
He went to the bat company to see if changes could be made and had previously spent time at the driveline in hopes of increasing bat speed.
“It's not for everyone,” Ward said. “We talked about it last year, but he did some things that I know that affected him negatively. He gained upper body speed, but that's where the amputation happened. .”
The real improvement came in the final two months of the season, as Goldschmidt posted a .658 OPS in his first 98 games and an .826 OPS in his final 56 games.
He improved even more in the final month of the season, posting a .920 OPS in 30 games.
“I witnessed it and was watching over him,” Ward said. “I saw him get frustrated, but then he went back to being as simple as possible and got results.”
The Yankees don't necessarily need 2022 National League MVP Goldschmidt in the post-Soto lineup, but they are taking a risk by replacing Anthony Rizzo with an older right-handed first baseman. There will be.
Ward, who was drafted by the Yankees in 1986 and then traded to Cleveland as part of the deal that brought Mel Hall to the Bronx, believes the move to New York will benefit both parties.
“What really helps is that he's a guy who makes the people around him better, and they make him better,” Ward said. “He's going to encourage everyone and be a voice of reason when everyone is hurting. What he's been through this past year has probably amplified that.”
Yankee Stadium should be good for Goldschmidt as well.
“That spot is built for a left-handed pull hitter or a right-handed hitter who hits the ball the other way,” Ward said of the right-handed Goldschmidt. “He hits the ball all over the field. St. Louis hasn't been a great place for a guy who hits the ball the other way.”
Ward noted that Goldschmidt had a .654 OPS at home and .774 on the road last season.
It will be up to Mr. Goldschmidt to prove that the first half, and part of the year after, did not signal a permanent decline.
This was an unusual spot for Goldschmidt, as he hadn't had much of a slump in his career.
Mr. Ward and Mr. Goldschmidt began dating in 2011, when Mr. Goldschmidt was with Arizona's Double-A affiliate in Mobile, Alabama, and Mr. Ward was the manager.
“I was very hard on the players,” Ward said. “He was a guy who always wanted to learn and grow. He probably asked more questions than any player I've ever been around.”
It worked, and Goldschmidt was called up to the majors straight from Double-A on August 1st, where he quickly made an impact.
“I said this because there was some question whether he could adjust after a jump like that.” [then Arizona GM] Kevin Towers, 'This guy's going to do whatever it takes to be successful there.' And he did,” Ward said. “Some guys can adapt and create their own plans and dictate what they do at the plate. He took off from there.”
Ward eventually became Goldschmidt's hitting coach with the Diamondbacks from 2013 to 2015 before playing again for the past three seasons in St. Louis.
He expects Goldschmidt to get back to form.
“Personally, I have no doubts,” Ward said. “I looked at what he did last year and told him he played with Paul Molitor and Dave Winfield, who are Hall of Famers who played into their 40s. He was very tough, healthy, I told him that he was mentally strong and could do the same thing if he wanted to.”
The Yankees are more interested in 2025 than anything else.
