In mid-May, I made an All-Star case for Mickey Moniak. On June 1, I made an All-Star case for Antonio Senzatela. With All-Star voting closing on Thursday, it’s time to make the case for Hunter Goodman making his second-straight All-Star game.
Goodman took 2025 by the horns and never looked back.
He made his MLB debut in August 2023, and then bounced around the diamond in 2023 and 2024. Ahead of the 2025 season, he was informed that he would be catching full time, and he made the most of his opportunity.
Not only was he named to the Opening Day roster, but he was also named the Opening Day catcher ahead of veteran Jacob Stallings (who was eventually DFA’d in June).
In 144 games in 2025, Goodman set career highs in just about every statistical category. But he also led the Rockies in numerous categories, leading to him being selected to the All-Star game and winning a Silver Slugger. He also ranked first in our Ranking the Rockies series.
In 2026, it’s quite possible he will break his own records from 2025 (if he hasn’t already), and he could be the Rockies’ first back-to-back All-Star since Nolan Arenado, Charlie Blackmon and Trevor Story all went in 2018 and 2019.
Here’s how he ranks among qualified NL and MLB leaders so far in 2026 (all stats current through the June 27):
In addition to the above stats, Goodman logged his first three-homer game on Saturday night. For those calling “Coors,” 18 of his 25 homers have come on the road, which is the most pre-All-Star break by a Rockie all time. The player who most closely trails him? Hall of Famer Larry Walker, who recorded 16 home runs in his MVP 1997 season. He is also the first Rockie to hit 25 homers before the All-Star Break since Carlos González did it in 2013, but Walker holds the record of 27 in 2001.
While Goodman sits in good Rockies company, he also sits in good baseball company.
With his three homers on Saturday night, he became the fourth primary catcher to log at least 25 homers before the All-Star Break (since 1933). He joined Cal Raleigh (38, 2025), Iván Rodríguez (26, 2000) and Johnny Bench (28, 1970). All three went on to be All-Stars that year. Could that bode well for Goodman?
Goodman vs. The Field
The catching field is not nearly as crowded as some of the other positions, but Goodman was ranked fifth after the latest voting update was released on Monday. He sits behind Drake Baldwin (ATL), Will Smith (LAD), J.T. Realmuto (PHI), and William Contreras (MIL).
Baldwin leads all catchers, but Smith was also named a finalist despite currently being on the 10-day IL with neck inflammation. Goodman is in the mix with mostly Contreras and Baldwin, but has a sizable lead over Smith in games played (78 to Smith’s 52), runs scored (52 to 23), home runs (25 to 6), RBI (47 to 23), SLG (.535 to .382), total bases (159 to 66) and at-bats per home run (11.84 to 28.83).
Here is how Goodman stacks up against the NL catching field:
Goodman vs. The Rockies
When Mickey Moniak went on the 10-day IL with ankle tendinitis, Goodman was able to overtake him in many statistical categories. And not only does he lead the team in numerous categories now, but he leads by a wide margin in many cases:
Goodman (2026) vs. Goodman (2025)
All stats through the last Saturday in June in both 2025 and 2026.
Interestingly, Goodman is on pace for what he did in 2025 in a lot of categories. He took a dip in doubles and triples, but has made up for it in home runs. In 2025, he had 34 extra-base hits through June 28th; so far in 2026, he has 37 (and counting). His average has also dipped, but he didn’t really turn things on until June. 12 of Goodman’s 25 home runs have come in the month of June, and his June OPS is 1.035 – ranking him third in the National League behind Pete Crow-Armstrong and Shohei Ohtani.
The strikeouts have decreased, the power has increased, and Goodman is making an All-Star case at the right time.
Final Thoughts
The obvious choice for the Rockies’ All-Star representative at this point is Hunter Goodman. He is peaking at the right time and is on pace to shatter many of the records he set in 2025. If Moniak or Senzatela could join him, that would be a bonus. But at this point, all signs point to Hunter Goodman as the 2026 Rockies All-Star.
(And if there’s any justice in the universe, he should be the National League’s starting catcher.)
On the Farm
Triple-A: Albuquerque Isotopes 11, Salt Lake Bees 5
It was homer-palooza in Albuquerque against the Salt Lake Bees (Angels). The Isotopes scored in five of the first six innings, and put up multiple runs in five of them. Zac Veen (No. 9 PuRP) swatted his 13th homer of the season to get things going in the first. Not to be outdone, Charlie Condon (No. 1 PuRP) swatted a solo homer of his own in the second. He hit a three-run homer in his next at-bat one inning later, racking up the score 6-2.
Nic Kent joined the homer party in the fifth to score Condon, and then Chad Stevens homered in the sixth to finalize the Topes’ scoring at 11. They gave up two more runs in the ninth, but stopped the Bees at 5. In total, the Isotopes had five homers on the evening.
Double-A: Portland Sea Dogs 6, Hartford Yard Goats 0
The Yard Goats were baffled by the Portland Sea Dogs (Red Sox). They mustered just two hits en route to a shutout loss. Jack Mahoney gave up three runs on five hits with one walk and six strikeouts. One of the runs was a solo homer in the first by Sea Dogs’ right fielder Miguel Bleis. The other two came on a wild pitch in the third and an RBI single by shortstop Franklin Arias in the fifth.
The majority of the damage came in the ninth, when Sam Weatherly gave up three more runs on back-to-back home runs — a two-run shot to third baseman Jack Winnay and a solo shot to left fielder Matt Fraizer.
High-A: Spokane Indians 3, Tri-City Dust Devils 2
It was a back-and-forth affair for the Indians against the Dust Devils (Angels), but they were able to walk it off for the victory. Lebarron Johnson Jr. pitched six innings and allowed just one run on one hit (a solo homer) while recording one walk and six strikeouts. Nathan Blasick gave up one run on three hits over three innings, which ended up blowing his fifth save. However, Hunter Mann put up a scoreless/hitless 10th to record the win.
Jack O’Dowd recorded the Indians’ first two runs with an RBI single in the first and an RBI double in the third, scoring Tommy Hopfe both times. Roynier Hernandez was the hero of the night, though, with his single in the 10th to score Kelvin Hidalgo and secure the victory.
Low-A: Lake Elsinore Storm 6, Fresno Grizzlies 4
The Grizzlies got off to a hot 4-0 start in the first over the Storm (Padres), thanks to Roldy Brito (No. 11 PuRP), Wilder Dalis (No. 24 PuRP) and Matt Klein. Brito doubled to score Cam Nelson; Dalis doubled to score Brito and Ashly Andujar (No. 26 PuRP); and Klein doubled to score Dalis. Unfortunately, though, the pitching could not hold Brady Parker’s incredible start.
Parker threw six innings, allowing just one hit while walking two and striking out eight. Yanzel Correa allowed three runs on three hits with a walk and two strikeouts to put the Storm within a run. And then things really unraveled for Dylan Crooke, who gave up three more runs on five hits in just one third of an inning. He didn’t walk anyone, but also didn’t strike out anyone. Seth Clausen recorded the final two outs without giving up a hit, a run or a walk (he struck out two), but the damage was done.
Rumfield reunites with coach who taught him the lessons that have made him a ROY candidate | MLB.com
Hunter Goodman may be the Rockies best hitter right now, but TJ Rumfield is not far behind him. He’s also making a case for NL Rookie of the Year. In Minnesota, he reconnected with his Triple-A hitting coach, Trevor Amicone, who is now the Twins assistant hitting coach.
Rockies pitchers deal with mental challenges of Tommy John surgery rehab | Denver Gazette ($)
Earlier this year, Renee Dechert wrote about RJ Petit’s journey back from Tommy John surgery in spring training. Kevin Henry followed up with Jeff Criswell and Jaden Hill, as well as the Rockies’ training staff, to discuss what the entire process is like from diagnosis through rehab to returning to the mound.
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