A mighty good man
Hunter Goodman (COLLAR): 4-5, 2B, 2 HR, 3 R, 5 RBI.
The power of the home run is undoubtedly a tool that comes naturally to Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman.
A 2021 fourth-round pick out of the University of Memphis, Goodman has consistently shown an ability to hit the long ball in the Rockies’ Minor League organization.
In 2022, he has 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 the 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. In 282 games in the minors, Goodman has hit 79 home runs and has a career .581 hit.
Goodman made his Major League debut in 2023, but the minor league power didn’t initially translate. In 23 games and 77 plate appearances, he hit just one home run and batted .386. That’s not bad for a backup catcher, but Rockies fans probably expected more, given Coors Field’s hitter-friendly limits and his Minor League track record.
The power finally materialized this season in the big leagues.
In 23 games and 73 plate appearances, he hit four home runs and batted .449. Saturday against the Pirates, two of his four hits were home runs and he had five RBIs to boot. One of his homers was a 440-foot blast off Pittsburgh’s Jared Jones, one of baseball’s hottest pitchers.
Is Goodman a fantasy option, especially in two-receiver leagues?
Maybe. The power is there, but he’s only hitting .203, and the plate discipline still needs work. His K% is 27.4% and his BB% is just 2.7%, which is not the profile that produces long-term success. Again, the Rockies are rebuilding, and at 24, Goodman is the type of player who would benefit from more at-bats.
Goodman could be worth spreading around in two-catcher or depth leagues because he has the potential to be a shifty 15-20 home run hitter even in a backup role. Don’t expect much in other categories, especially batting average.
Let’s see how the other hitters did on Saturday.
Riley Greene (THE): 4-5, 2 HR, 2 R, 6 RBI, BB.
Greene made Astros rookie pitcher Spencer Arrighetti’s night miserable Saturday. He homered twice against the Houston right-hander and had six RBIs in the Tigers’ 13-5 victory. While the Tigers’ offense continues to be disappointing 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 were a significant disappointment, but Martinez was a pleasant surprise whose performance went almost unnoticed by baseball fans outside of Queens. Although he missed the start of the year due to a late signing (he didn’t officially sign with the Mets until March 23, a week before Opening Day), he hit .286 with a .859 OPS in 178 plate appearances. He also has eight homers, including two last night against the Padres. Martinez might not stay with the Mets for long (his name is frequently mentioned in trade rumors). However, he is an example of what has gone well for the Mets this year, which is rare.
Antoine Santander (BALL): 2-2, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, BB.
Santander heats up in June after poor performances in April and May. Over the past two months, he has hit .208 and .207, respectively, with just seven homers in the two months combined. This month, he’s hitting .298, including eight home runs in just 64 plate appearances. Santander hit two of his eight home runs last night against the Phillies and had four RBIs. The Orioles still trail the Yankees in the AL East division. However, that gap could close quickly with Santander looking like its old self again.
Josh Rojas (SEA): 2-3, HR, 3 R, 3 RBI, 2 BB.
The Mariners will provide help wherever they can get it. Lately, it seems to be coming from Rojas, who is traditionally known more for his glove than his bat. Rojas only has an OPS of 0.644 this month, but his overall OPS is 0.731 and he has a BB/K ratio of 0.51. This is essential 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 only hit four home runs last season in 105 games.
Heliot Ramos (SFG): 3-5, 2 2B, HR, R, 3 RBI.
Ramos could be a legitimate All-Star candidate for the Giants. In 145 plate appearances, he hit .325 with a .978 OPS. He also has eight home runs, the last of which came Saturday against the Angels. Ramos was once one of the top prospects in the Giants system, whose star faded after mediocre Major League stints in 2022 and 2023. This year, he’s 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 hit .168 with a .583 OPS. Melendez has shown a penchant for succeeding 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 into extra innings. Against the Dodgers last night, during a 12-pitch battle against Blake Treinen, he hit a grand slam that gave the Royals the lead. These big moments keep Melendez in the big leagues, even if the statistics don’t justify it.
Jarred Kelenic (ATL): 3-5, RH, R, 2 RBIs.
Did Kelenic benefit from the move to Atlanta? Yes and no. He’s hitting .269 on one end, which would be a career high if the season ended today. He also settled into a prominent 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, showing that he’s still the same kind of hitter he was when he played in Seattle. Kelenic may be what he is: a productive hitter but nothing special, especially for fantasy purposes.
Thomas Lane (WSN): 2-4, 2B, HR, 2R, RBI.
Many expected Thomas to regress after a surprising 2023 season, and that came to fruition somewhat. He hit just .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 it was a season ago. Thomas shows many of the same skills as in 2023; luck was just 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 have invested draft stock in Thomas this year.