All credit for the idea goes to Jason Collette:
But, yes, absolutely.
And I’m here to explain why, first by making his case for the All-Star Game (because he’s earned a ticket) and then by looking at his potential in the Home Run Derby.
Is he really All-Star worthy?
He absolutely is.
Consider how he compares with his National League peers. (All numbers are current as of Monday morning.)
Currently, he is second in fWAR only to Will Smith (1.9 and 2.8, respectively).
In 190 plate appearances (that’s fifth-most among NL catchers), Goodman has mashed 12 homers. Behind him are Carson Kelly and Sean Murphy with nine. He’s also second in RBI (35) behind only Smith (40).
Goodman is third in doubles (13), tied for first in triples (1), and is sixth in hits (32).
When he’s behind the plate, among NL catchers with a minimum of 100 plate appearances, he is tied with Smith for the highest batting average (.320), is seventh in OBP (.347), and leads in SLG — by a lot (.602 with Smith’s .528 ranked second). His wRC+ (148) is second only to Smith’s (166).
And before all those folks who haven’t been paying attention weigh in to say, “#COORS!” allow me to point out that Goodman has been more effective on the road than in Denver.
His home batting average? .269. His road batting average? .297.
His home wRC+? 82. His away wRC+? 154.
His home SLG? .433. His away SLG? .588.
How many homers has he it at Coors Field? 3. How many has he hit on the road? 11
(These numbers reflect his total offensive output, not just his numbers when he’s catching — and he’s a better hitter when he’s catching than when he’s DHing, a subject discussed below.)
I don’t have any disagreement with Will Smith as the starting catcher. The numbers indicate he’s earned it, and the most-recent voting tally (June 23) shows that voters recognize that insofar as he’s in the top five of those who’ve received votes.
Will Smith, Dodgers: 2,099,944
Carson Kelly, Cubs: 769,860
J.T. Realmuto, Phillies: 489,289
Francisco Alvarez, Mets: 448,238
Hunter Goodman, Rockies: 446,453
Gabriel Moreno, D-backs: 272,518
William Contreras, Brewers: 251,036
Jose Trevino, Reds: 214,666
Sean Murphy, Braves: 173,654
Elias Díaz, Padres: 127,121
When asked about the possibility of going to the All-Star Game, Goodman said, “I would love to be there. It’d be my first All-Star game.” The he added — in the most Goodman-ian statement ever — “I mean, I think that’d be awesome.”
And then, like any good catcher, he made a plug for Rockies reliever Jake Bird. “I think Jake Bird deserves it a lot as well,” Goodman said.
You can support Goodman’s All-Star case by voting here.
Okay, but why the Home Run Derby?
The Home Run Derby takes place on Monday, July 16 with eight of MLB’s best mashers competing for the top honor. (Last year, Teoscar Hernández was the big winner.)
Among NL hitters, Eugenio Suárez and Shohei Ohtani lead the home run category with 25. Goodman’s 14 put him in a tie for eighth place — and, incidentally, ties him with Hernández.
Is Hunter Goodman an obvious choice? No. But all he does is hit, and it would be great to see him show what he can do under one of baseball’s brightest lights.
Given his weird split — he’s a better hitter when he’s catching than when he’s a DH — we might need to simulate some kind of game series, so he can catch a few bullpens or something while others are hitting, but it would be worth it.
As Goodman has noted, “I think a lot of it’s just the mentality,” he said. “Like when I’m catching that day, the stuff behind the plate is more important than the stuff in the box. So just being able to kind of forget about my at bats, whether I do good or bad, and go back to catching and then reset for the next at bat, I think it’s a little easier to do that when I’m behind the plate.”
Plus, it would be great to have a slugger in the Derby who learned how to hit from his mother. A standout softball player at Freed-Hardeman University, Stephanie Goodman hit 45 career homers during her college career.
“Hunter swings the bat like his momma does,” Robert Goodman, Hunter’s father, told The Denver Post in 2023 shortly before their son’s major league debut. “She swung it like a grown man, she really did. And she could hammer homers just like Hunter.”
Now, that is the kind of energy we need in a slugging contest.
And don’t forget that he’s from Arlington, Tennessee, which is just under six hours from Atlanta.
Trevor Story is the last Rockie to appear in the Home Run Derby, but Goodman is a fitting successor.
MLB, it’s been a tough year for Colorado Rockies fans. (Look, being historically bad is hard.)
But we would really appreciate you giving us this one thing: Put Hunter Goodman in the Home Run Derby.
(For the latest updates on the Home Run Derby lineup, I recommend following Jon Becker’s Home Run Derby Tracker, which you may view here.)
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This week on the internet
In case you missed this interview with Hunter Goodman last week, it’s worth your time:
Find out about his career as a high school football player and his time hanging Christmas lights.
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Baseball players are known for their superstitions. In Ryan Ritter’s case, the focus is on flossing. (Look, this seems like a pretty terrific superstition to have, frankly.)
Putting Together a Rockies-Mets Trade for Jake Bird | Just Baseball
Jake Bird: New York Met? Here’s what a trade might look like.
14 prime trade candidates and where they might be dealt | MLB.com
Yes, Jake Bird and Ryan McMahon make Mark Feinsand’s list.
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