For all the reasons we’ve written about and all the painful innings Rockies fans watched, 2025 was a season to forget.
Luckily, there was Hunter Goodman.
In his first full MLB season, the then 25-year-old put up the best season for a catcher in MLB not named Cal Raleigh. Goodman, the Rockies fourth-round pick from the 2021 MLB Draft, hit 31 homers, drove in 91 RBIs, hit 28 doubles and batted .278/.323/.520. He earned an All-Star selection, following Elias Díaz’s Midsummer Classic nod in 2023, and officially taking the mantel of the Rockies next catcher.
With all the other position battles, it’s nice that Goodman is a lock. For the first time since 2019, someone named Díaz or Jacob Stallings.
Goodman has gotten off to a slow start in spring training this year, but the real thing starts on March 27. Through 34 at-bats in 12 games, Goodman is only hitting .147/.225/.324 with nine RBI, three walks and nine strikeouts.
He could be turning a corner as he knocked a three-run homer, his second of the spring, on March 15 against the Angels.
In 2025, Silver Slugger-winning Goodman played 104 games at catcher and 39 as DH. Manager Warren Shaeffer has expressed the desire to continue to have Goodman in the lineup as much as possible as the best offensive player. The plan will require Goodman following up his 2025 success and being able to stay healthy despite the grind behind the plate and extended playing time.
Hopefully, his 2025 season prepared him for it, especially being an All-Star. At Rockies Fest, Goodman talked about the All-Star experience and how he learned from it.
“Getting to go is awesome. It was a blessing to be to be around those guys, but I think the coolest part was being around guys like [Clayton] Kershaw and [Manny] Machado and [Freddie] Freeman,” Goodman said. “All those guys that are older, when I was in high school, I watched them play in All-Star Games, and just picking their brains and talking to them, and just trying to take in everything and learn.”
After making his debut on April 15 last season and playing in 38 games for the Rockies, Braxton Fulford entered spring training as the likely backup to Goodman. Even though he’s had a good spring training — he’s hitting .258/.294/.333 with two homers, seven RBI, seven strikeouts and two stolen bases in 31 at-bats in 13 games through Tuesday — he’s facing stiff competition from veteran Brett Sullivan, who the Rockies signed to a Minor League deal in December.
Sullivan, the 32-year-old journeyman who spent eight years in the minors before making his MLB debut in 2023, has been red hot in Arizona. On top of hitting .414/.469/.759 with two homers, seven RBI, four doubles and only one strikeout in 29 at-bats in 13 games, Sullivan has also stepped up as a mentor for the young Rockies.
Neither has put up numbers like their spring training stats in their brief MLB careers. Last year, Fulford, a 27-year-old with superspeed, especially for a catcher, batted .213/.267/.324 with 26 strikeouts, one homer, two triples, and five doubles in 108 at-bats. After his initial call-up, Fulford, the Rockies sixth-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, went back and forth from Triple-A Albuquerque and the Rockies before being called up for good on Aug 3. He had a big day on March 14 when he hit a walk-off, two-run homer to carry the Rockies to a win over the Cubs.
Sullivan, who played for team Italy in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, played in 40 games over the 2023-24 seasons with the Padres and three games for the Pirates last season. He’s combined to hit .204/.250./.291 with two homers, three doubles, 10 RBI and 26 strikeouts in 103 at-bats.
Considering the young team and the value of an experienced catcher, Sullivan, especially with his spring performance, may have the edge in making the roster.
The Rockies have another veteran and prospect pairing to provide depth.
In early February, the Rockies signed Kyle McCann, a 28-year-old, who was drafted by the A’s in 2019. He played 54 games with the A’s in 2024 before returning to the minors and being cut in 2025 when he then played for the Piratas de Campeche in Mexico to end the 2025 season. This spring, he’s only managed two hits, including a homer, in 14 at-bats over 11 games. He was reassigned to minor league camp on March 15.
Cole Carrigg (No. 4 PuRP), the Rockies No. 65 overall pick from the 2023 MLB Draft, has a super-utility status that includes catcher. He finished 2025 in Double-A Hartford and likely needs more time to develop in Triple-A to start this season, but could provide depth later this season if needed. The 23-year-old is having a great spring, batting .385/.370/..654 with three doubles, two triples, five RBIs and seven strikeouts in 26 at-bats over 11 games. He was reassigned to
Bryant Betancourt, a 22-year-old who the Rockies signed in 2021 out of Venezuela, was a non-roster invite to spring training. He played in seven games, hitting one double with one RBI, two walks and one strikeout in eight at-bats. He was reassigned to minor league camp on
Cole Messina (No. 26 PuRP), the Rockies third-round pick from 2024, has a lot of upside and moved up to Double-A Hartford in his first pro season last year. He likely needs at least one more year in the system before he’ll be ready.
The Rockies not only have their best offensive player starting behind the dish, but they have lots of talented depth behind him. Plus, for the first time in a long time, it’s young talent that must be a pillar of the Rockies rebuild. Of course, that depends on Goodman not backsliding and Sullivan or Fulford arising as reliable and constant depth.
Another interesting element to watch this season will be how the Rockies catchers handle the ABS Challenge System. As one of three people with the power to challenge, catchers, alongside the pitcher and the batter, the Rockies will have to be on target in their two challenges not to lose them and be able to use them to their advantage.
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