SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Power hitter Hunter Goodman, a gritty, down-in-the-dirt player, has always considered himself a catcher.
Yes, he would occasionally play first base or fill in as a corner outfielder, but his home was always behind the plate. Now comes his chance to make it his permanent big-league residence.
“My whole career, I’ve thought of myself as a primary catcher, and this offseason, I spent 90% of my time working on my defense,” Goodman said Tuesday as the Rockies held their first full-squad spring training workout. “Catching is my favorite, and it’s the position I’m best at, so it was a good offseason for me.”
Manager Bud Black and bench coach/catching coach Mike Redman told Goodman to concentrate solely on catching this winter, coaxing Goodman to improve his skills, particularly his throws to the bases, by finding a quicker release point.
“We wanted to be fair to him and give Hunter his best chance to make the team, so we told him to concentrate on catching,” Black said. “I didn’t want his attention diverted.”
Goodman, 25, enters camp as the No. 2 catcher behind veteran Jacob Stallings, 35.
Drew Romo, 23, the 35th pick of the 2020 draft who made his big-league debut last season, remains in the mix as camp begins. Non-roster invitee Austin Nola, 35, and Braxton Fulford, 26, will also get their chances.
But Goodman’s growth behind the plate — his blocking skills and game-calling improved dramatically last season — and especially his power, make him one of the more intriguing players in camp.
He does have minor-league options, so he can be sent down if he struggles. But if he proves himself in camp, he’ll have a chance to get a couple of starts a week and perhaps more as the season progresses.
“Catching is something you have to embrace because it is so tough, especially at this level, but that’s what I want,” Goodman said. “You have to learn to grind through it.”
Then Goodman paused, smiled, and added: “I think a lot of catchers are a little different, a little messed up in the head, maybe, but you just go out there and do what you can do.”
Goodman’s overall batting line last season was subpar (190/.228/.417), and his 28.6% strikeout rate was too high, but he still hit 13 homers in 224 plate appearances. He can scorch a baseball. His 114.7 mph double on May 24 off the Phillies’ Cristopher Sánchez was the hardest base hit for a Rockie since Nolan Jones’ 115.3 mph home run on Aug. 8, 2023. His 96.5 mph average velocity on batted balls ranked fourth on the team.
Goodman launched five of his 13 homers in September, when he started getting regular playing time at catcher. The peak of his season was a three-hit, two-homer, seven-RBI game on Sept. 13 against the Cubs.
Stallings, who is so good at handling a pitching staff and so familiar with the tools of the trade, has been impressed by Goodman’s growth.
“I was telling everybody last spring that we needed to get Hunter with the catchers more because he was kind of all over the place with all of the other positions,” said Stallings, who returned to the Rockies after signing a one-year, $2.5 million contract during the offseason.
“This was a good move because you just don’t see that kind of power in catchers too often,” Stallings continued. “We saw that last year. I mean, it’s legit power. Hunter hits the ball hard.
“On the catching side, I was impressed with how he did. For a guy who hasn’t caught a lot of games in his (pro) career, I thought he did a really good job. He’s got a good head on his shoulders and he’s not overwhelmed at all. I’m looking for him to take a step forward this year.”
Put your feet up: Black said the Rockies don’t have a detailed plan regarding center fielder Brenton Doyle’s playing time, but Black made it clear that he wants to give Doyle a few breaks from the wear and tear of playing center at Coors Field.
“We’re going to talk about it for sure,” Black said. “That position takes its toll on guys, especially at Coors Field. … So we’ll look to get him off his feet when we can.”
In games when Doyle isn’t in center — Sam Hilliard looks like his likely backup — Doyle will often be the designated hitter.
Footnotes: Right-hander German Marquez, returning from injury, threw the first live bullpen of camp and looked sharp and strong. He cut loose with a 98 mph fastball. … Hall of Famer Todd Helton showed up at camp Tuesday and watched various players take batting practice. Helton is a special assistant to general manager Bill Schmidt and works primarily with minor-league players.
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