A Mighty Goodman
Hunter Goodman (COL): 4-5, 2B, 2 HR, 3 R, 5 RBI.
Home run power is undoubtedly a tool that comes naturally to Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman.
A fourth-round pick in 2021 out of the University of Memphis, Goodman has always flashed an ability to hit the long ball in the Rockies’ Minor League organization.
In 2022, he hit 36 home runs in 134 total games with the Low-A Fresno Grizzlies, High-A Spokane Indians, and Double-A Hartford Yard Goats. In 2023, with the Yard Goats and Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes, he hit 34 home runs in 106 games. Even with the Isotopes this year, he hit seven home runs in just 20 games. Over 282 games in the Minors, Goodman has hit 79 home runs and has a career slugging of .581.
Goodman made his Major League debut in 2023, but the power from the Minor Leagues didn’t translate initially. In 23 games and 77 plate appearances, he only hit one home run and slugged .386. That’s not bad for a backup catcher, but Rockies fans probably expected more, considering Coors Field’s hitter-friendly confines and his Minor League track record.
The power has finally come to fruition this season in the big leagues.
In 23 games and 73 plate appearances, he has four home runs and is slugging .449. On Saturday against the Pirates, two of his four hits were home runs, and he had five RBI to boot. One of his home runs was a 440-foot blast off of Pittsburgh’s Jared Jones, one of the hottest pitchers in baseball.
Is Goodman a fantasy option, especially in two-catcher leagues?
Perhaps. The power is there, but he only hits .203, and the plate discipline still needs work. His K% is 27.4%, and his BB% is only 2.7%, which is not the profile that produces long-term success. Then again, the Rockies are rebuilding, and at 24 years old, Goodman is the kind of player who would benefit from more at-bats.
Goodman could be worth streaming in two-catcher or deep leagues, as he has the potential to be a sneaky 15 to 20-home run hitter, even in a backup role. Just don’t expect much in other categories, especially the batting average.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Saturday.
Riley Greene (DET): 4-5, 2 HR, 2 R, 6 RBI, BB.
Greene made rookie Astros pitcher Spencer Arrighetti’s night miserable on Saturday. He hit two home runs off the Houston righty and collected six RBI in the Tigers’ 13-5 win. While the Tigers offense continues to underwhelm this year, Greene has been a bright spot, with an OPS of .836 and 14 home runs. The latter is three more than a season ago in 119 fewer plate appearances.
J.D. Martinez (NYM): 3-3, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 BB.
The Mets have been a significant disappointment, but Martinez has been a pleasant surprise whose performance has gone mostly unnoticed by baseball fans outside of Queens. Despite missing the start of the year due to signing late (he didn’t sign with the Mets officially until March 23, a week before Opening Day), he is hitting .286 with a .859 OPS in 178 plate appearances. He also has eight home runs, two coming last night against the Padres. Martinez may not be with the Mets for long (his name is frequently mentioned in trade rumors). However, he is an example of what has gone right for the Mets this year, which is rare.
Anthony Santander (BAL): 2-2, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, BB.
Santander is heating up in June after lackluster performances in April and May. Over the last two months, he has hit .208 and .207, respectively, with only seven home runs in the two months combined. This month, he is hitting .298, including eight home runs in only 64 plate appearances. Santander hit two of his eight home runs last night against the Phillies and had four RBI. The Orioles still lag behind the Yankees in the AL East division. However, that gap could close quickly with Santander looking again like his old self.
Josh Rojas (SEA): 2-3, HR, 3 R, 3 RBI, 2 BB.
The Mariners will take hitting help wherever they can get it. Lately, it seems to come from Rojas, who has traditionally been more known for his glove than his bat. Rojas has only a .644 OPS this month, but his overall OPS is .731, and he has a 0.51 BB/K ratio. That is much needed for a lineup that struggles with strikeouts. On Saturday against the Rangers, he had two hits and hit his fourth home run of the year in his 61st game. Rojas had only four home runs last season in 105 games.
Heliot Ramos (SFG): 3-5, 2 2B, HR, R, 3 RBI.
Ramos may be a legitimate All-Star candidate for the Giants. In 145 plate appearances, he is hitting .325 with a .978 OPS. He also has eight home runs, with his latest coming on Saturday against the Angels. Ramos used to be a top prospect in the Giants system whose star had faded after subpar Major League stints in 2022 and 2023. This year, he is finally living up to the hype and showing that he can be a long-term option in the outfield for San Francisco.
MJ Melendez (KCR): 2-4, HR, R, 4 RBI.
Melendez has had a rough year, plain and simple. In 212 plate appearances, he is hitting .168 with a .583 OPS. Melendez has shown a penchant for coming through in big moments. Last Sunday, he hit a home run in the bottom of the ninth in Seattle to tie the game and send it to extra innings. Against the Dodgers last night, during a 12-pitch at-bat against Blake Treinen, he hit a grand slam that gave the Royals the lead. Those big moments keep Melendez up in the big leagues, even if the stats don’t justify it.
Jarred Kelenic (ATL): 3-5, HR, R, 2 RBI.
Has Kelenic benefited from the move to Atlanta? Yes and no. He is hitting .269 on one end, which would be a career-best if the season ended today. He also has settled into a leadoff role with Ronald Acuña Jr. on the injured list. Conversely, his K% ranks in the ninth percentile, and his whiff rate ranks in the sixth percentile, thus showing that he is still the same kind of hitter he was when he played in Seattle. Kelenic may be who he is: a productive hitter but nothing special, especially for fantasy purposes.
Lane Thomas (WSN): 2-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, RBI.
Many expected Thomas to regress after a surprising 2023 season, and it has come to fruition somewhat. He is only hitting .238 with a .688 OPS in 180 plate appearances. That said, his xwOBA is 34 points higher than his actual wOBA, and his hard-hit rate is 0.2 points higher than a season ago. Thomas shows many of the same skills from 2023; the luck has just been different. Thomas could turn a corner after a home run against the Marlins on Saturday, which would be encouraging for Nationals fans and fantasy managers who invested draft stock in Thomas this year.