Hunter Goodman has been a Colorado Rockies revelation.
Before the 2025 season began, few in the wider MLB world had heard of him. He absolutely raked in the minors but so do lots of guys. He had yet to show that he could hang with Major League pitching and was positionally homeless.
Not profiling particularly well in the corner outfield or at first base, the Rockies opted to strap the catcher’s gear back on him. Something he hadn’t done in a few years, catching became Goodman’s salvation.
Almost immediately, in his first full season both as a catcher and a major leaguer with a starting gig, he took the world by storm. Over the last two years he has become a staple atop the slugging and home run leaderboards, establishing himself as one of the most valuable hitters in baseball. Now he’s a two-time All-Star. He put it all on full display during his three-home-run outburst against the Cincinnati Reds, becoming the first Rox slugger to homer thrice in a game twice in a single season.
Loudly, Goodman has become a feared hitter. Quietly, he has made steady improvements on defense. In 2024, he posted a -3 DRS, in 2025 it was -1 and so far in 2026 he is holding serve at an even 0.
But the Rockies catcher has also emerged as one of the best in baseball at something incredibly valuable that doesn’t factor into his WAR. He has become one of the best users of the new ABS challenge system for balls and strikes.
I recently caught up with him to get a sense of his strategy when employing the new tool.
Shiny New Toy
“I think it’s a good change to the game,” he said, noting that he did get a brief time to get familiar with it in the minors.
“I think you see players get a chance to have a say when it’s a big moment or a big spot. Before, you might kinda get screwed on call, but [now] you have the opportunity to overturn it. So, I think in those big moments in games, I think it’s cool that you have something that can change that call.”
Goodman says he doesn’t track the stats super closely but knows he has done well in his challenging.
“I mean, I’ve had a few,” he says with a laugh when I ask if any specific challenges stick out as particularly impactful.
“I feel like I’ve had a few 3-2 pitches called balls get overturned.” He ain’t lyin’. He’s had 10 full-count overturns on the season.
Overall, Goodman ranks third among all MLB players in successfully overturned calls with 59. He’s behind only Tyler Stephensen of the Reds, and William Contreras of the Milwaukee Brewers.
“So, I think there’s definitely been some in some big moments,” he says. “I mean some of those moments like guys on base in a swing count and it’s a pretty big deal for sure.”
We thought back at this point to the Rockies most impactful overturn of the season which actually came from backup Brett Sullivan in New York against the Mets.
Making A Difference
“Yeah, I mean, it was like bases loaded, two outs, 3-2 count, right? And in the past that’s just a walk and then there’s nothing you can do about it. So it definitely, definitely changes the game.” That moment on April 26th was the ninth most impactful overturn across all MLB according to TapToChallenge.com.
How has he done it? Almost purely on instinct. After all, two seconds and two challenges gives you almost no time to think.
“I feel like before every pitch, you have to know the situation, you know the count. There’s obviously the fact that you want to save one for later in the game. So you try to save them for those big spots. But then at the same time, like if I know if I’m 95% sure that that one’s a strike, I’m going to challenge it. I mean, you want to use them when a guy’s trying to get out of a jam or or anytime where it changes from a walk to a strikeout.
It boils down to a simple mantra despite all the potentially conflicting strategies.
“I want the pitchers to get their strikes.”
A Different Animal
When he’s at the plate, rather than behind it, Goodman admits it’s a totally “different animal.”
“Behind the plate you kind of see up and down a little different,” he says. “Behind the plate, if it clipped on the outside or inside, you’re staring right at it. So as a hitter, I mean, I feel like I’ve had a few good ones. But some of those ones on the corner can get you.
As a batter, Goodman has challenged 11 times and been correct four times. Not as good as his catching but still adding a bit of value there as well. In fact, his two most impactful overturns as a catcher (by WPA) and his most impactful as a hitter all came against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
In our conversation, which took place just before the break, we also wondered what the future of this system might look like. How much more difference good catchers could make if they were given just one more second to think and just one more challenge to play with.
But perhaps the biggest question, especially for those of us hooked on metrics, is how do we include this added value on the player’s resume? The overturned call that swung a potential loss to the Dodgers into a surefire win, didn’t calculate into Goodman’s WAR. And one day, it might.
“Yeah, for sure. I mean, I think only time will tell with all that stuff,” he says. It’s still fairly new. It’s only been in for half a season. But it’s been cool to see who’s good at it. I don’t check all the time. But I think it’s just been a good addition to the game.”
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