One Man’s Trash: Away From Home Goodman

Most people operate better in their home environment due to comfort and familiarity. I work from home, so the setup of my computer is key. When I travel, the discombobulation is at epic levels. Baseball players are known to be creatures of habit, or members of the Church of Superstition. They are the same. One just sounds fancier and has a capital c. That worker they give a pound to when entering the stadium. The batter’s eye in centerfield. The location of the bathrooms. All can be part of the process. There are those, though, who function and thrive on the road. Maybe their personalities are invigorated by the new. Maybe the juices flow from the unknown. Maybe status quo is for the boring bros and Joe Schmoes. Or maybe it’s a case of the dreaded small sample size! Hunter Goodman has thrived on the road this season. Where does he lie on this spectrum?

Hunter Goodman is 25 years old, 6′, 210 pounds, and bats from the right side. The Colorado Rockies selected him in the fourth round of the 2021 MLB draft.

From the outset of his minor league career, Goodman showed the power, hitting 36 home runs across three levels in 2022 with a .277 ISO. The strikeout rate was in the 25% range while the walk rate was around 6%.

He made his MLB debut in 2023, but only accrued 77 plate appearances in 23 games. Last season, he received 224 plate appearances in 70 games and finished with 13 home runs, 24 runs, 36 RB,I and a stolen base. The walk rate was 3.6%, strikeout rate was 28.6%, and ISO was .227. The BABIP of .199 fueled a paltry slash of .190/.228/.417.

Through 64 games and 259 plate appearances this season, Goodman has clubbed 10 home runs while scoring 31 runs, driving in 37, and stealing one base. The walk rate is 5.4%, strikeout rate is 25.1%, and ISO is .207. Contrary to last season, Goodman has been blessed by the BABIP gods, posting a .347. That’s helped lead to a slash of .282/.328/.490.

The average exit velocity is a healthy 91.7 mph while the maxEV is 116.2 mph. The launch angle is 18.4 degress while the barrel rate is 10.7%. The hard hit rate is 49.7%! Those are chef kiss numbers.

The plate discipline numbers aren’t great, though. The chase rate is 35.4% while the swinging strike rate is 16.1%, the ninth-highest rate in MLB.

Now, for the interesting aspect of Goodman’s season so far. Eight of the 10 home runs have been hit on the road. He’s slashing .306/.349/.587 away from Coors compared to .258/.308/.392 at home. Things that make you go hmmmm.

I have no idea what to make of it. There could be some pieces of information that we are not privy to in terms of Goodman’s personal life. Or it could just be small sample size madness. Or it could be that he’s more comfortable now as a MLB player than last year’s rookie season.

I think we are going to see plenty of regression from Hunter Goodman as the season progresses. I have a not-so-sneaky suspicion that he will start getting hot at Coors while the road numbers will come down. Coors Field will always skew towards a higher BABIP, but the .358 BABIP on the road will decrease. In addition, pitcher’s are going to make adjustments, which will force Goodman to adjust to the adjustments. The circle of life between pitcher and batter.

That said, Hunter Goodman still has plenty of utility. He’s hitting in the middle of the order, gets to play in Coors Field, and has dual eligibility. I have doubts that he remains this hot, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility.