Following Hunter Goodman’s three home run performance at Target Field vs the Minnesota Twins on June 27, a slot in the Home Run Derby seemed like a sure thing. That performance put the Colorado Rockies catcher at 25 on the season, and he has since hit two more. His 27 home runs are good for fifth in Major League Baseball and second in the National League. He expressed a desire to participate in the event in Philadelphia on Monday, July 13.
The plan being for his father, Robert Goodman, to pitch to him. It would’ve been a well-deserved honor for Goodman, who is an All-Star for the second straight season. Instead, Goodman becomes one of the biggest derby snubs in recent memory.
An Embarrassing Snub
As the field started to get announced, there was plenty of noise from those who watch Goodman every day. Including Rockies’ analyst and former player Ryan Spilborghs, who shouted out the fact that Goodman has been a road warrior this season, not a Coors product.
Put him in the derby!!!! 27 Homers this year! 18 Homers on the Road, .990 OPS, 8 homers at Coors, .717 OPS. Not a Coors field monster. He’s a road monster! https://t.co/cMWXFW4An6
— Ryan Spilborghs (@spillygoat19) July 5, 2026
In addition to 18 of his road home runs coming on the road, all four of his multi-homer games have come on the road as well! What more does Goodman have to do to earn a place among the field of eight? It screams of the MLB seeing 27 home runs next to a Rockies player’s name and writing him off as a Coors creation. As Spilborghs pointed out, even a little research would clearly point out the opposite.
Only Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero and Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber have more home runs than Goodman among the entrants in the field. Bryce Harper makes sense as a Phillies player and a former Derby champion in 2018, while a member of the Washington Nationals. But Kansas City’s Jac Caglianone, who only has 14 home runs and also isn’t an All Star? It’s also hard not to feel like Goodman would have been the first player selected if he were a member of the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox. Both of whom are sending Ben Rice and Willson Contreras to the Derby, respectively.
Jordan Walker, who is having a breakout season in St. Louis was also selected with 22 home runs this season. Munetaka Murakami, 22 home runs, of the Chicago White Sox rounds out the field. This is not to say these players didn’t earn their way into this year’s field either. But a willing candidate in the top five league-wide in home runs should never be left out of the derby field. Period.
A Reason Why
Rockies’ manager Warren Schaeffer during pregame of the Rockies game vs the San Francisco Giants on Friday, July 10 pointed out Caglianone only having 14 home runs and said it would be good to know why Goodman was excluded from the field. He would’ve been the first Rockie to be included in the field since Trevor Story in 2021, who was included as the hometown member as the ASG was in Denver that year. Before Story, Carlos González and Charlie Blackmon made the field in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
Though Schaeffer and Goodman likely won’t receive an answer, it’s a fair question to ask. Especially since Goodman will be in Philly already as the Rockies’ lone All-Star. He will reportedly still watch the event. But that’s all Goodman can do is watch and try and hit one of his own a night later during the All-Star game on July 14.
Additionally, the snub takes nothing away from the historic season Goodman is having in Colorado as a catcher. It is rather just yet another controversy where it’s hard not to think the “reason” Schaeffer and Goodman are looking for is that Goodman plays his home games at Coors Field.
The Derby will still be highly entertaining. But will be lacking a highly deserving candidate who hit 27 dingers this year and would have a strong chance of being the first Rockie in franchise history to bring home the hardware from the event. Goodman’s snub was an absolute joke by the MLB. Nobody in Colorado is laughing.
Main Photo Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
