Hunter Goodman Is Climbing Rockies Single-Season Home Run Rankings

Hunter Goodman hit his 38th home run of the season against the Detroit Tigers, a three-run shot that gave Colorado a 3-0 lead. It was his 23rd home run away from Coors Field this season, moving him alone into second place for the most road homers in a single season in Rockies history.

Only Larry Walker stands above him, with 29 road home runs during his 1997 MVP season. That year stands out even in an era filled with gaudy offensive performances, as Walker hit 49 home runs while slashing .366/.452/.720. Goodman is nowhere near matching a season like that, but his own production has put him firmly in the discussion among baseball's best offensive catchers.

Light Tower Power

Hunter Goodman hits a two-run home run against the New York Yankees. Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In terms of raw power, Goodman has been a cut above the rest of the catching crop. He ranks first among all qualified catchers in slugging (.522) and home runs (38) per MLB.com. Power is only one part of the offensive equation, though.Gabriel Moreno has the highest batting average (.299) and on-base percentage (.376).

Liam Hicks has also built a strong case with a .286 average and .368 on-base percentage, while striking out far less often than Goodman. Drake Baldwin has provided another solid offensive season, but neither has come close to matching Goodman’s home-run output.

That makes the argument over baseball’s best offensive catcher largely dependent on what someone values. Goodman provides more power than most players in the league, let alone catchers, while Moreno has been better at making contact and reaching base. Regardless of who you prefer, the traditional “he plays at Coors” argument does not work here. In fact, Goodman has actually been better on the road, posting an .861 OPS away from Coors compared with .784 at home.

There is still another level Goodman could reach as a hitter. Drawing more walks and cutting down on strikeouts would be a good place to start. The 26-year-old ranks in just the fourth percentile in strikeout rate and whiff rate (32.1%, 35.0%) and the fifth percentile in chase rate (40.3%) according to Statcast, so a large share of his offensive value is still driven by raw power. Improving there might become important, as pitchers will be less inclined to test Goodman's power and instead pitch out of the zone to see if he will chase and beat himself.

None of this takes away from the player he already is though. His elite performance on the road this season has proven that his ability is not determined by a ballpark, now it is about making incremental tweaks and growing with the young core the Rockies have in place.

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