With three-homer game, Goodman joins elite company with early-season 25-HR club

MINNEAPOLIS -- In baseball, three swings can often mean you're out. For Hunter Goodman on Saturday, three swings meant his first career three-home run game and a historic trip around the bases.

The Rockies catcher paced the offense at Target Field, blasting three home runs in Colorado's 8-5 win against Minnesota. His offensive production helped build a 6-2 lead by the seventh and secured a monumental spot in Major League history for the 26-year-old slugger.

With his third blast of the night -- a three-run shot off Twins reliever Kody Funderburk in the seventh -- Goodman reached 25 home runs on the year.

He became the first National League catcher since Hall of Famer Johnny Bench in 1970 to hit at least 25 home runs in his team's first 83 games, and just the fourth catcher in Major League history overall to accomplish the feat (Seattle's Cal Raleigh last season and Texas' Ivan Rodriguez in 2000).

"Those are some of the all-time greats," Goodman said of the Bench comparison. "Any time you can be mentioned in that regard with them, it’s pretty surreal."

Goodman also is the first Rockies player to hit three home runs in a game since Michael Toglia against the Mets in New York on July 14, 2024.

The history-making power surge underscores a trend for Goodman this season: his productivity peaks on the road. While baseball fans typically expect a hitter's numbers to surge in the thin air of Coors Field, Goodman has reversed that expectation. He is hitting nearly .100 points higher on the road (.291 away vs .193 at home), showing that his power translates effectively outside of Denver. He put that power on full display strictly with his bat, providing all of his offensive production out of the designated hitter spot on Saturday.

"There's been some talk that he can't hit when he's DH'ing, but that ain't true and he showed it today," manager Warren Schaeffer said. "You can't say enough good things about Goody and what he's doing. ... When Goody gets hot, he stays hot for a while. He's a really tough guy to get out."

Goodman established that presence early against Twins starter Mike Paredes. In the first inning, Goodman tracked an 80.9 mph sweeper and hit a solo shot to left field to open the scoring. In the third, he hit a 94 mph fastball deep to center field. He then connected on a 90.1 mph sinker from Funderburk in the seventh to secure the personal milestone.

After the game, infielder Kyle Karros was spotted proudly wearing a T-shirt with Goodman’s face and name plastered across the front while singing his teammate's praises.

"It’s one of the most powerful swings in the game," said Karros, who added a two-run homer of his own in the eighth. "He's so humble, too. You wouldn't have any idea he had three homers unless you're a player in the game, just by the way he carries himself."

The offensive eruption backed a solid start from veteran right-hander Michael Lorenzen, who pitched 5 2/3 efficient innings, allowing two runs on seven hits without walking a batter. While a late three-run double by Minnesota's Trevor Larnach in the ninth narrowed the gap to 8-5, reliever Jimmy Herget stepped in to close the door and secure his third save of the season, wrapping up a resilient bounce-back win following Friday's extra-innings loss.

"They come ready to play every day," Schaeffer said of the team's steady approach with a lead. "It's a nine-inning game, so you have to be ready to play by pitch one and you can't quit playing until the last pitch of the game. I think our guys are doing a really nice job of that."