Hunter Goodman Recognized for Stellar Offensive Season

Hunter Goodman Gets Silver Slugger Nomination

History of Rockies’ Silver Slugger Award Winners

Former Rockies shortstop Trevor Story was the last Rockie to win a Silver Slugger in 2019. Considering the Rockies play their home games at the hitter’s haven that is Coors Field, the Silver Slugger drought paints a clear picture of how bad this Rockies’ offense has been. The Rockies had at least two Silver Sluggers each season from 2015-19, with a high-water mark of three in 2018 when Germán Márquez (pitcher), Nolan Arenado (third base), and Story all won.

Goodman’s 31 home runs this season were the most by a Rockie since C.J. Cron hit 29 in 2022. Goodman is the first Rockie to hit 30+ home runs since Arenado (41), Story (35), and Charlie Blackmon (32) in 2019. He also passed Wilin Rosario‘s 28 home runs in 2012 for the most single-season home runs by a catcher in Rockies’ history. Goodman would be the first Rockies catcher to win a Silver Slugger.

Well-Deserved Recognition for Goodman

Goodman was far and away the Rockies’ bright spot in a franchise-worst season. He was near the top of numerous offensive categories among catchers. He tied with the Athletics’ Shea Langeliers for second in home runs with 31. His 91 RBI were behind only the Seattle Mariners’ Cal Raleigh (125) and the Kansas City Royals’ Salvador Perez (100). Those numbers were way up from just 13 home runs and 36 RBI in 70 games in 2024. It was also Goodman’s first All-Star nod this season as the lone representative for the Rockies. Additionally, his offensive excellence this season is all the more impressive given that it was his first season as a full-time catcher.

Goodman went out and earned that role with a scorching spring training and did not look back. He was indispensable to the Rockies’ lineup, performing as the designated hitter 39 times when he had a break from catching. He significantly raised his average from just .190 in 2024 to .278 this season over 144 games. His OPS also made a significant jump from .645 to .843, and his WAR improved from -0.8 to 3.7. The next closest Rockie in WAR was Ryan McMahon (1.2), who was traded to the New York Yankees at the trade deadline.

It’s scary to think about how much worse the Rockies would have been without Goodman. He was the only Rockies’ position player who was even close to deserving of an All-Star selection. The Rockies’ offense, even with Goodman, finished near the bottom of the league in numerous categories. That was in part due to down seasons from shortstop Ezequiel Tovar and center fielder Brenton Doyle. But Goodman put the offense on his back this season and realized his massive power potential. Now, he gets to enjoy his deserved recognition for his stellar offensive season.