Brian Goodwin (baseball)


Brian Christopher Goodwin is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball. He previously played in MLB for the Washington Nationals and Kansas City Royals. Before his professional career, Goodwin played college baseball for the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Amateur career

Born and raised in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, Goodwin attended Rocky Mount High School where he was a three-sport athlete in baseball, football, and basketball. Goodwin was named Gatorade North Carolina Baseball Player of the Year during his senior season, and also received All-Conference honors in football as a cornerback and kick returner.
Goodwin attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he hit.291, tied the school record for triples in a single season, led the team in RBIs, and was named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American. However, Goodwin transferred to Miami-Dade College, due to issues with his grades. As a sophomore at Miami-Dade, Goodwin hit.382 with a.500 on-base percentage. In 2010, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League. Goodwin committed to play baseball at the University of South Carolina following the 2011 season.

Professional career

Washington Nationals (2016–2018)

Goodwin was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 17th round of the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft out of Rocky Mount High School in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. He did not sign and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was then drafted by the Washington Nationals in the first round of the 2011 Major League Baseball Draft.
Prior to the 2012 season, Baseball America ranked Goodwin as the Nationals fifth best prospect. Goodwin made his debut that year for the Class-A Hagerstown Suns. He was promoted to Double-A Harrisburg Senators after hitting.324/.438/.542 with nine home runs and 38 runs batted in. At Harrisburg he hit.223/.306/.373 with five home runs. After the season, he played in the Arizona Fall League and was the MVP of the Rising Stars Game.
Prior to the 2013 season, Goodwin was ranked as the Nationals third best prospect by Baseball America. He was also ranked as the 52nd best prospect in baseball by MLB.com.
He was called up to the Nationals in August 2016 after hitting.284 in the minor leagues. On August 10, 2016, Goodwin connected for his first major league hit, a single, against the Cleveland Indians. After starting the 2017 season with the Triple-AAA Syracuse Chiefs, Goodwin was promoted to the majors in May, taking the place of injured outfielder Chris Heisey. Goodwin hit his first major league home run on June 2, 2017, at the Oakland Coliseum, connecting for a two-run shot to right-center off Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Zach Neal, amid a four-hit outburst that marked his best day at the plate in his major league career to that point. On July 27, 2017, Goodwin touched off back-to-back-to-back-to-back home runs for the Nationals against Michael Blazek of the Milwaukee Brewers, hitting a two-run shot that scored pitcher Max Scherzer from first base to begin the onslaught. It was the first time the feat had been accomplished in Major League Baseball since the 2011 season.

Kansas City Royals (2018)

On July 22, 2018, the Nationals traded Goodwin to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for minor league pitcher Jacob Condra-Bogan. Goodwin was released by the Royals on March 25, 2019.

Los Angeles Angels (2019–present)

On March 27, 2019, Goodwin was claimed off release waivers by the Los Angeles Angels.