Memphis Professional Athletes

Hunter Goodman Is Closing In on Something Special

With the 2026 MLB season winding down, Memphis alum Hunter Goodman is making sure no one looks away from Coors Field.

The Rockies catcher put together his most explosive week of the stretch run, capping it with a thunderous performance on Saturday, Sept. 26 against the White Sox — going 2-for-the-day with two home runs and four RBI in a 9-6 Colorado win. It was the kind of line that turns heads league-wide, and for Goodman, it was the exclamation point on a week that kept his name at the center of one of the more compelling individual storylines in the NL this September.

According to Sports Illustrated, Goodman entered the final week of the season on the doorstep of a remarkable offensive feat — one the Rockies organization had been tracking all year. The specifics of the milestone weren't lost on the fanbase, and Saturday's two-homer outburst made it clear he isn't coasting to the finish line.

Zoom out across the week and the production is consistent. Goodman homered on Sept. 20 in the first game of a doubleheader against Seattle, adding a hit and an RBI in a Rockies win. He went 2-for-the-day in the second game of that twin bill as well, drawing a walk. He continued contributing through a tough three-game set against Arizona midweek — posting multi-hit efforts across the doubleheader on Sept. 24 with two hits and an RBI in the first game, and one hit and one RBI in the second — before going quiet in a 2-7 loss to the D-backs on the 23rd. Even a tough Friday in the series opener against Chicago (1-for in a 1-6 loss) didn't slow the momentum heading into Saturday's fireworks.

Over the week, Goodman slashed his way from a .243 average up to .247 — modest in raw terms, but the underlying pop tells the real story. His batting average now sits at .247 on the season, with the home run total continuing to climb as he chases that late-season milestone.

For Memphis fans, Goodman has been the easy-to-track success story of the alumni class, a catcher who has grown into a legitimate middle-of-the-order threat at the big league level. The Rockies may not be playing meaningful October baseball, but Goodman has given their faithful — and the Memphis faithful — a reason to tune in every night down the stretch.

Around the League

Goodman was the headliner this week, but Memphis has two other names on active rosters. Jonathan Bowlan remains in Philadelphia's bullpen, and Sam Moll is part of the Cincinnati Reds' pitching staff. Neither generated notable stat lines in the research window, but their presence keeps Memphis represented across three franchises as rosters begin to thin toward the postseason.

For the Memphis alumni, though, this week belonged to Goodman. Six games, two homers, and a milestone chase — that's Memphis alumni news worth watching all the way to Game 162.

Two Memphis Alumni Battling Injuries in MLB's Final Weeks

September is supposed to be when rosters expand and contenders make their push. For a pair of Memphis Tigers in the majors, it's become a month defined by setbacks.

Jonathan Bowlan's Groin Tightens at the Worst Time

The Phillies' bullpen has been tested all season, and Jonathan Bowlan has been one of its workhorses — but the Memphis product may be running out of runway. During Philadelphia's 3-0 win over the Mets on Thursday, September 17, Bowlan lasted just two-thirds of an inning before exiting with right groin tightness. Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly, citing trainer Paul Buchheit's assessment, kept his postgame comments characteristically measured: "We re-evaluate tomorrow, see where he's at."

The timing is rough. Just two days earlier, Bowlan had absorbed a rough outing against the Nationals — surrendering the go-ahead home run to Daylen Lile in the seventh inning of a 6-3 loss — and spoke openly about the performance afterward. He enters this week with a 3.36 ERA, solid enough numbers for a middle reliever on a team sitting at 85-68, but the groin issue clouds his availability just as Philadelphia needs every arm healthy for a potential postseason run.

Hunter Goodman's Historic Season Hits a Snag

Down in Colorado, the story is equal parts impressive and frustrating. Hunter Goodman, who had quietly been putting together one of the most compelling offensive campaigns in Rockies catcher history, left the Colorado-Padres game on September 15 with an apparent injury suffered on a sliding triple. The Rockies, already enduring a difficult September, described the development as the latest setback in what's become a demoralizing stretch.

The injury is especially stinging given the context. Goodman's 23 road home runs this season rank second in Rockies single-season history — a remarkable figure for a catcher, and even more remarkable given that Colorado's road numbers are typically suppressed relative to Coors Field's hitter-friendly environment. Rockies fans had been tracking whether Goodman could climb further up the franchise record books before the season's end. He's also part of a trio — alongside TJ Rumfield and Jake McCarthy — that gave Colorado three qualified hitters above an .800 OPS, a feat the franchise hadn't accomplished since 2019.

Goodman did manage to suit up Saturday, going 1-for-4 against Seattle with a batting average sitting at .244. Whether he can stay on the field through season's end remains the question.

The Memphis Takeaway

Sam Moll, the third Memphis alumnus active in MLB this year, has largely stayed out of the headlines pitching out of Cincinnati's bullpen. The spotlight this week belongs to Bowlan and Goodman — two Tigers whose September stories have taken an unfortunate turn. For Bowlan, it's about staying healthy enough to contribute to a Phillies team with October ambitions. For Goodman, it's about preserving what's been a genuinely historic individual season in Denver, injury and all.