Is This Former Major Free Agent Signing the Rockies' Most Forgotten All-Star?

The Colorado Rockies have a former major free agent signing who was an unexpected All-Star.

Jun 15, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a Colorado Rockies hat and glove on the bench against the Atlanta Braves in the ninth inning at Truist Park. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Colorado Rockies, despite their ineptitude this season, are going to have an All-Star representative because of an MLB rule that requires each team to have at least one player taking part in the showcase event.

This year, the Rockies will be represented by catcher Hunter Goodman, who has performed well enough to have gotten consideration for a spot on the National League team even had there not been this rule in place.

Through 83 games, he has a .278/.326/.516 slash line with 17 home runs, 18 doubles and three triples, knocking in 52 runs.

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However, there aren’t always players as deserving of an All-Star honor as Goodman.

Through the last few years, that hasn’t always been the case for a Colorado squad that hasn’t been overly competitive on the field.

Since the turn of the century, the Rockies have missed the postseason 25 times; it is going to be 26 after this year because they are on pace to break the single-season record for losses, which was set by the Chicago White Sox in 2024 with 121.

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During the last 25 years, there have been a number of unherladed Colorado All-Stars that people may have not remembered.

Over at The Athletic (subscription required), Tyler Kepner put together a piece highlighting the most forgotten All-Star for each franchise over that span.

For the Rockies, their selection was starting pitcher Mike Hampton, who made the NL Team in 2001.

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“Mike Hampton is remembered for failing in Colorado, where he lasted for just two seasons of an eight-year, $121 million contract. But did you know that he actually started off well? Hampton was 9-2 with a 2.98 ERA in his first 13 games for the Rockies, becoming the first All-Star pitcher in team history,” Kepner wrote.

Bringing pitchers aboard in free agency has been an impossible task for the Rockies given the conditions at Coors Field.

Hampton was willing to take on the challenge, agreeing to a massive contract.

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As Kepner shared, things started off well, but the deal ended up being a massive bust. He finished that 2001 season with a 5.41 ERA before making 30 starts in 2002 and performing even worse with a 6.15 ERA and minus-1.9 bWAR.

After that campaign, he was traded to the Miami Marlins, along with Juan Pierre, in exchange for Vic Darensbourg, Charles Johnson, Pablo Ozuna and Preston Wilson.

Two days later, he was shipped to the Atlanta Braves for Ryan Baker and Tim Spooneybarger.

He was solid there with 4.5 bWAR across four seasons, performing at a much higher level than he did with Colorado.

For more Rockies news, head over to Rockies On SI.