Hunter Goodman’s rise has reached the point where “breakout” doesn’t really cover it anymore. The Rockies catcher is headed to his second straight All-Star Game, and that kind of repeat performance says plenty about what he’s become in Colorado.
A few years ago, Goodman was still at Memphis, where he was the star of the program and put up a school-record 21 home runs in a season shortened by the COVID shutdown. Colorado took him in the fourth round, then watched him work his way through the minors from Single-A to Triple-A while doing the same thing everywhere he landed: hit.
He got a look with the big club at the end of 2023 and looked solid. In 2024, he kept bouncing between Triple-A and Colorado, producing in both places and even spending some games as a backup catcher while he tore into the ball. Because of that workload, he qualified for rookie status, and the organization’s expectations for him only grew from there.
Last year, the Rockies handed him the starting catcher job, and Goodman answered with a .278/.323/.520 line, 31 home runs, his first All-Star selection as Colorado’s lone representative, and his first Silver Slugger award.
Now he’s done it again. Goodman will be Colorado’s only All-Star for a second straight year, with two spots still open for the Home Run Derby. He’s already at 27 homers this season, including three in one game against the Twins last week, and he’s on pace to top last year’s numbers.
Everything about his production keeps pointing in the same direction. The climb has been steady, the power has held, and the results have repeated themselves enough to make the case plain: Hunter Goodman isn’t a one-year story. He’s proving it again.
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Rockies Fans Have Every Right To Feel Snubbed Over Hunter Goodman
Hunter Goodman has given the Rockies exactly the kind of power season that should make him part of the Home Run Derby conversation. The Colorado slugger has climbed to second in the National League in home runs, and his recent surge has only strengthened the case that he belongs on the midsummer stage with the games biggest boppers.
Still, the Derby picture is not fully set, and Goodman remains on the outside looking in as the invitation list takes shape. With several spots already spoken for and a couple still open, the Rockies are left waiting to see whether one of their most productive bats gets the nod he has earned. [Read more 🡒]