Texas State Professional Athletes

Paul Goldschmidt's 2026 season ended with a thud — swept out of the ALDS by the Tampa Bay Rays in three games — but the Texas State product made one thing clear when the cameras found him in the Yankee Stadium locker room: he's not finished.

The 39-year-old first baseman, fresh off his 16th MLB season and headed into free agency, told reporters including Jon Heyman of the New York Post that he intends to keep playing in 2027. For a player whose career has spanned four teams, seven All-Star selections, and a National League MVP, the announcement carries weight — both for the market that's about to open around him and for the Bobcat alumni network watching one of their own refuse to walk quietly into retirement.

The Yankees Exit

New York's ALDS collapse against Tampa Bay was swift and painful. Goldschmidt appeared in Games 2 and 3, going a combined 1-for-7 in the series as the Yankees were bounced without putting up a fight. The early exit leaves the franchise facing serious questions heading into an offseason that will now include replacing — or re-signing — a familiar face at first base. Fellow impending free agent Jazz Chisholm Jr. has also publicly expressed a desire to return to the Bronx, compounding the front office's roster puzzle.

What's Next for Goldy

Goldschmidt's market will be among the more intriguing storylines of the 2026-27 offseason. At 39, he's not the force he was during his Cardinals and Diamondbacks prime, but his name still commands attention — and any team in contention looking for a right-handed bat with postseason experience will have reason to call. Whether the Yankees bring him back on a short-term deal or he lands elsewhere remains an open question, but the player himself has removed any ambiguity about his intentions.

For Texas State fans, Goldschmidt has long been the standard-bearer — the most decorated alumni the program has produced and living proof that San Marcos can develop major-league talent at the highest level. Watching him compete at 39, in October, on a playoff stage, is a testament to a career built on durability and professionalism as much as raw ability.

The Bobcats won't know where Goldschmidt lands until the hot stove heats up, but they know this much: he's coming back for more.

Texas State's Goldschmidt in the Spotlight as Yankees Open Wild Card

Paul Goldschmidt has never been one to shy away from a big moment, and the Texas State alumnus is getting another one — this time under the brightest lights in baseball.

The New York Yankees first baseman is on the playoff stage as New York opens the AL Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox, a best-of-three at Yankee Stadium with first pitch set for 8:00 P.M. EST. According to Heavy Sports, Goldschmidt enters the series with a chance to join a select group in MLB postseason history — a milestone the Yankees flagged themselves ahead of Game 1.

The specifics of that historical marker make the moment worth watching closely for Bobcat fans. Goldschmidt, a decorated first baseman whose career has spanned multiple franchises and postseason runs, has long been one of the more accomplished players to come out of San Marcos. This series adds another chapter.

What Goldschmidt Did in the Lead-Up

Goldschmidt was active in the Yankees' final regular-season series against Boston, which served as something of a playoff preview. In Wednesday's game — a contest that carried late-season stakes — he drew two walks and scored a run, showing patience at the plate and on-base awareness that has defined his game throughout his career. The Yankees won the Thursday finale 9-2 to close out the regular season on a high note heading into the Wild Card round.

The Bigger Picture for Texas State

Goldschmidt remains the marquee name among a quietly active group of Texas State alumni in the majors. Kyle Finnegan (Tigers), Nick Fraze (Blue Jays), Zachary Leigh (Cubs), Dalton Shuffield (Twins), and Levi Wells (Orioles) all spent time on active MLB rosters this season — a noteworthy footprint for a program that doesn't always get its flowers in the national conversation.

But this week belongs to Goldschmidt. The Yankees-Red Sox Wild Card Series is one of the most storied rivalry matchups baseball can produce, and a Texas State product is squarely in the middle of it, hitting cleanup for New York with history potentially within reach.

Whether Goldschmidt delivers the milestone or not, the postseason spotlight on him is a reminder of what San Marcos has put into the big leagues — and Bobcat fans have every reason to watch this series closely.

Texas State's Goldschmidt Heads Toward a Defining Offseason

Paul Goldschmidt's time in pinstripes is running out — and what happens this winter could define the final chapter of a Hall of Fame-caliber career.

The Texas State product and seven-time MLB All-Star is set to hit free agency after the 2026 season, with the Yankees already navigating lineup decisions around the veteran first baseman as the schedule winds down. It's a quiet ending to what was a quietly productive late-season stretch — the kind that keeps suitors interested but doesn't exactly drive up the market.

Over the week of September 20–26, Goldschmidt went 2-for-2 with a pair of RBI — hitting .255 on Thursday against the Rays (2 hits, 1 RBI in a 6-4 Yankees win) and chipping in another RBI Friday against Baltimore in a 2-10 loss. He was absent from multiple lineups across the stretch — the Yankees announced him out before Tuesday's doubleheader against Tampa Bay and again ahead of at least one game in the Arizona series — leaving him as a part-time presence rather than an everyday anchor.

Still, consistent run production from a 38-year-old first baseman is far from nothing. The numbers won't dazzle, but Goldschmidt has always been more than a stat line. His seven All-Star nods, MVP pedigree, and reputation for elite defense at first base give any contender reason to look twice this offseason.

The Yankees, for their part, appear to be managing Goldschmidt carefully down the stretch — a sign either of preservation ahead of a potential playoff push or of a quiet acknowledgment that his future in New York is uncertain. He was not in the lineup for Saturday's 5-3 loss in the Arizona series, though he did contribute a hit, a walk, and two runs in Friday's series opener — a game the Yankees won 9-2.

For Texas State alumni tracking one of the program's most decorated big leaguers, this stretch of September baseball feels like a prologue. Goldschmidt isn't done — but where he lands next could shape exactly how his story ends. A reunion with a contender, a return to a familiar market, or a short-term deal to chase one more ring are all on the table.

No other Texas State alumni made notable statistical waves in MLB action this week. Kyle Finnegan (Tigers), Nick Fraze (Blue Jays), Zachary Leigh (Cubs), Levi Wells (Orioles), and Dalton Shuffield (Twins) are all active on big-league rosters as the regular season hits its final days, with the Bobcat pipeline across the league a quiet testament to the program's professional development track.

The spotlight, as it has been for years, belongs to Goldschmidt. Watch this winter.