Brian Goodwin (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Brian Goodwin |
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Goodwin with the Los Angeles Angels in 2019
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| Free agent | |||
| Outfielder | |||
| Born: November 2, 1990 Rocky Mount, North Carolina, U.S. |
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| Professional debut | |||
| MLB: August 6, 2016, for the Washington Nationals | |||
| CPBL: August 20, 2022, for the Wei Chuan Dragons | |||
| MLB statistics (through 2021 season) |
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| Batting average | .244 | ||
| Home runs | 50 | ||
| Runs batted in | 158 | ||
| CPBL statistics (through 2022 season) |
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| Batting average | .245 | ||
| Home runs | 0 | ||
| Runs batted in | 11 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Brian Christopher Goodwin (born November 2, 1990) is an American professional baseball outfielder. He is currently a free agent, meaning he is not signed to a team. Brian has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for several teams, including the Washington Nationals, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Cincinnati Reds, and Chicago White Sox. He also played in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) for the Wei Chuan Dragons. Before becoming a professional player, Brian played college baseball for the North Carolina Tar Heels.
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Early Life and College Baseball
Brian Goodwin grew up in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. He went to Rocky Mount High School, where he was a talented athlete. He played three different sports: baseball, football, and basketball. In his senior year, he was named the Gatorade North Carolina Baseball Player of the Year. He also earned honors in football as a cornerback and kick returner.
After high school, Brian attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As a freshman, he had a batting average of .291 and led his team in RBIs (runs batted in). He also tied a school record for triples in a single season. Because of his great performance, he was named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American.
However, Brian later transferred to Miami-Dade College due to issues with his grades. At Miami-Dade, he continued to play well, hitting .382 with a .500 on-base percentage as a sophomore. In 2010, he played collegiate summer baseball for the Harwich Mariners in the Cape Cod Baseball League. After the 2011 season, Brian planned to play baseball at the University of South Carolina.
Professional Baseball Career
Starting with the Nationals
Brian Goodwin was first drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 2009, right out of high school. But he decided not to sign with them and went to college instead. In 2011, the Washington Nationals drafted him in the first round. He joined the Auburn Doubledays that year, but he wasn't on their active playing roster.
Before the 2012 season, Baseball America magazine said Brian was the Nationals' fifth-best young player. He started playing that year for the Single-A Hagerstown Suns. He played so well, hitting .324 with nine home runs and 38 runs batted in, that he was moved up to the Double-A Harrisburg Senators. After the season, he played in the Arizona Fall League and was named the MVP of the Rising Stars Game.
In 2013, Baseball America ranked Brian as the Nationals' third-best young player. MLB.com also ranked him as the 52nd best young player in all of baseball.
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Brian was called up to play for the Nationals in August 2016. He had been hitting .284 in the minor leagues. On August 10, 2016, he got his first major league hit, a single, against the Cleveland Indians.
In 2017, Brian started the season with the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs. He was promoted to the major leagues in May when another player, Chris Heisey, got injured. On June 2, 2017, Brian hit his first major league home run at the Oakland Coliseum. It was a two-run shot and part of his best day at the plate so far, where he got four hits. On July 27, 2017, Brian was part of a rare event for the Nationals. He hit a two-run home run that started a streak of four home runs in a row by different Nationals players against the Milwaukee Brewers. This was the first time this had happened in Major League Baseball since the 2011 season.
Moving to Other Teams
On July 22, 2018, the Nationals traded Brian to the Kansas City Royals. He played in 27 games for the Royals, hitting .266 with three home runs and 13 RBIs. The Royals released him on March 25, 2019.
Just two days later, on March 27, 2019, the Los Angeles Angels picked him up. In 2019, Brian played in 136 games for the Angels. He had a batting average of .262, hit 17 home runs, and had 47 RBIs. Both the home runs and RBIs were the most he had in his career. In 2020, he was the starting right fielder for the Angels on Opening Day.
On August 31, 2020, Brian was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. He made his debut for the Reds on September 1, getting a double. On December 2, the Reds decided not to offer him a new contract, making him a free agent.
Playing for the White Sox and Beyond
On February 11, 2021, Brian signed a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. However, he was released by the Pirates on May 3 without playing in any games for them.
The very next day, May 4, 2021, Brian signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox. He was added to their main roster on June 10. On June 12, he made his White Sox debut and hit a three-run home run, getting five RBIs in the game. He was the 38th player in White Sox history to hit a home run in his first game with the team. On August 1, Brian hit his first career walk-off home run, which means his home run won the game for his team. He finished the 2021 season hitting .221 with 8 home runs and 29 RBIs in 72 games. On November 5, he became a free agent again.
In 2022, Brian played for the Leones de Yucatán in the Mexican League. In 32 games, he hit six home runs and had 19 RBIs. He was released by the team on June 14.
Later in 2022, on August 18, Brian signed with the Wei Chuan Dragons in the Chinese Professional Baseball League. He played in 26 games for them, getting 11 RBIs and one stolen base. He became a free agent after that season.
On May 23, 2023, Brian signed with the Long Island Ducks in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. In 59 games, he hit 12 home runs and had 38 RBIs. He became a free agent after the 2023 season.
