The New York Yankees open a series against the Oakland Athletics in Sacramento on Friday night with Paul Goldschmidt one home run away from tying Matt Williams and Manny Machado for 78th on baseball's all-time home run list.
Goldschmidt last homered on May 26, when he hit his 377th career long ball, passed Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk and moved into a tie with Norm Cash and Hall of Famer Jeff Kent for 79th on the list. One more homer would put him at 378 and alongside Williams and Machado for 78th overall — a milestone he can reach immediately in the Sacramento series.
What makes the chance notable is how Goldschmidt has looked this season. In his second year with the Yankees, the 38-year-old is batting.265 with 26 hits, five home runs, 15 RBIs and 17 runs in 31 games. His 2026 slash line sits at.263/.363/.500 over 113 plate appearances, and the underlying numbers show renewed pop: a.235 ISO (up from.129 in his debut Yankees season), a.296 BABIP, a 48.7 percent hard‑hit rate and a 14.5 percent barrel rate, along with a 10.6 percent walk rate. He has also been plus‑1 in DRS and plus‑2 in OAA defensively.
Those figures matter because the milestone is simple math: one swing, one ball out of the park. Goldschmidt has the contact and power profile this year to supply that swing. Observers have noticed — a writer recently called him an "absolute joy" to watch at the plate — and the visual evidence matches the numbers.
Context tightens the stakes. Goldschmidt re‑signed with the Yankees on a one‑year deal late in the offseason and has been a steady presence in New York’s lineup. The Yankees enter the series second in the American League East, 1.5 games back of the Tampa Bay Rays, and they have been a capable road club at 17‑13 away from home. Any historic moment that arrives in Sacramento would come against the backdrop of a club balancing short‑term gains with a division race.
That balance is the friction point. Goldschmidt’s production comes with a complication: Giancarlo Stanton has begun running as he recovers from a calf injury, and a returning Stanton could reduce Goldschmidt’s playing time and plate appearances. The numbers show Goldschmidt is still producing when he plays; the open question is how many opportunities he will receive in a tightly managed lineup while the Yankees monitor Stanton’s rehab.
Practical detail for fans and bettors: the milestone is reachable only if Goldschmidt sees a meaningful share of plate appearances across the Sacramento series. He does not need a long stretch of games — a single daylight at‑bat can do it — but the Yankees’ lineup cards and early lineup announcements will be the clearest indicator of whether the club plans to keep him in a lead role or ease Stanton back and shuffle DH and corner infield reps.
Goldschmidt’s proximity to the all‑time list makes the series an immediate one to watch, but the thing to track is opportunity, not raw power. He has supplied both the contact and the launch rates this season; what will determine whether he ties Williams and Machado is how often he steps into the box in Sacramento.
