Red Sox minor-league infielder Niko Goodrum has been named the International League Player of the Week for the week of June 19-25, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.
Goodrum had a strong week for Triple-A Worcester in its latest series against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs at Polar Park. Starting all six games, the switch-hitting 31-year-old went 10-for-21 (.476) at the plate with four doubles, one home run, four RBIs, eight runs scored, two stolen bases, seven walks, and six strikeouts to close out the first half of the minor-league season. That one homer came on Tuesday, which also happened to be his daughter’s second birthday.
On the 2023 campaign as a whole, Goodrum has batted .279/.443/.428 with nine doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 34 RBIs, 47 runs scored, seven stolen bases, 63 walks, and 60 strikeouts in 63 games (280 plate appearances) for the WooSox. His 22.5 percent walk rate ranks first among qualified International League hitters, per MiLB.com’s leaderboards.
Goodrum has put up these numbers while seeing playing time at four different positions for Worcester. The versatile 6-foot-3, 220-pounder has logged 243 innings at first base, 171 1/3 innings at second base, and exactly 100 innings at third base. He also made one start in right field back on May 18.
A veteran of six major-league seasons between the Twins, Tigers, and Astros, Goodrum signed a minor-league contract with the Red Sox in December. Though he did not make Boston’s Opening Day roster out of spring training, he has fared well in Worcester and has made a positive impact in the clubhouse as well.
Bobby Dalbec said as much in a recent conversation with MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith, noting that Goodrum pulled him aside in between a doubleheader earlier this season and “kind of showed me something on my swing path and it was very clear to me.”
WooSox manager Chad Tracy, meanwhile, had glowing reviews for Goodrum’s approach at the plate when speaking with MassLive.com’s Katie Morrison-O’Day back in late April.
“He’s a pro, very professional,” Tracy said. “He swings at strikes, gets deep in counts, manages at-bats, foul things off. You’re watching a guy who has played in the big leagues for a while. He’s got a plan of what he’s trying to do when he goes in there and sticks to it.”
If Goodrum were to play for the Red Sox at some point this season, he would first need to be added to the 40-man roster. With that being said, the Georgia native still has two minor-league options remaining, so there would be some flexibility there.
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