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 player. He plays as an outfielder and is currently a free agent. 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. Before becoming a professional, he 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 was a talented athlete at Rocky Mount High School. He played three sports: baseball, football, and basketball. In his senior year, he was named Gatorade North Carolina Baseball Player of the Year. He also earned honors in football as a cornerback and kick returner.
Goodwin first attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. There, he hit for a .291 batting average and tied a school record for triples in one season. He also led his team in RBIs. He was recognized as a Freshman All-American. However, Brian later transferred to Miami-Dade College to focus on his academic performance. At Miami-Dade, he continued to play well, hitting .382. In 2010, he played summer baseball for the Harwich Mariners in the Cape Cod Baseball League.
Professional Baseball Career
Starting Out: Drafts and Minor Leagues
Brian Goodwin was first drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 2009, right out of high school. But he decided not to sign and went to college instead. In 2011, the Washington Nationals drafted him in the first round. He joined the Auburn Doubledays that year, but didn't play in any games.
Before the 2012 season, Baseball America ranked Goodwin as one of the Nationals' top young players. He started playing for the Class-A Hagerstown Suns. He played so well that he was moved up to the Double-A Harrisburg Senators. After the season, he played in the Arizona Fall League and was named MVP of the Rising Stars Game. In 2013, he was ranked even higher as a prospect.
Washington Nationals
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Goodwin was called up to the Washington Nationals in August 2016. He had been hitting well in the minor leagues. On August 10, 2016, he got his very first hit in Major League Baseball against the Cleveland Indians.
In 2017, Brian started the season in Triple-A. He was promoted to the Nationals in May when another player got injured. On June 2, 2017, he hit his first major league home run. It was a two-run shot that helped his team. Later that season, on July 27, 2017, Goodwin was part of an amazing moment. He hit a two-run home run that started a streak of four straight home runs for the Nationals! This rare event had not happened in MLB since 2011.
Moving Teams
On July 22, 2018, the Nationals traded Goodwin to the Kansas City Royals. He played for them for a short time. He was released by the Royals in March 2019.
Just two days later, on March 27, 2019, the Los Angeles Angels picked him up. The 2019 season was a great one for Brian with the Angels. He played in 136 games and hit 17 home runs and had 47 RBIs. Both of these were career bests for him. In 2020, he was the Angels' starting right fielder on Opening Day.
On August 31, 2020, Goodwin was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. He made his debut for the Reds the very next day. After the 2020 season, he became a free agent.
Later Career
In February 2021, Brian signed a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. However, he was released by the Pirates in May of that year.
The very next day, on May 4, 2021, Goodwin signed with the Chicago White Sox. He was added to their main roster in June. On June 12, he had a fantastic debut with the White Sox, hitting a three-run home run and getting five RBIs! He was the 38th player in White Sox history to hit a home run in his first game with the team. On August 1, 2021, he hit his first career "walk-off" home run, winning the game for the White Sox 2–1. He finished the season with 8 home runs and 29 RBIs in 72 games.
In 2022, Brian played for the Leones de Yucatán in the Mexican League. He hit 6 home runs in 32 games. Later that year, he signed with the Wei Chuan Dragons in the Chinese Professional Baseball League. In 2023, he played for the Long Island Ducks in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, hitting 12 home runs and driving in 38 runs.
