Ranking the Rockies’ best All-Star Game moments — and three future Colorado All-Stars | Kevin Henry
Ted S. Warren
When Hunter Goodman takes the field for the National League in Tuesday’s All-Star Game at Truist Park in Atlanta, he will have an extremely tough act to follow.
Goodman is only the second Rockies catcher to appear in the Midsummer Classic. He is well-deserving of the honor after a first half of 2025 where he has been Colorado’s most consistent threat at the plate. The 25-year-old Goodman is slashing .277/.325/.517 with 17 home runs and 52 RBI, both of which lead the Rockies.
But will Goodman have a chance to come through in the clutch the way that the first Rockies catcher at the All-Star Game did? Elias Diaz and his big swing in Seattle in 2023 leads the five best moments for the Rockies in the All-Star Game.
1. Elias Diaz wins MVP
2023 All-Star Game, Seattle
The first and only Rockies player to earn MVP honors at the All-Star Game, Diaz came through for the National League in his only at-bat, hitting a pinch-hit, two-run home run in the eighth inning off Baltimore’s Felix Bautista that would give the NL an eventual 3-2 win.
Diaz was the only member of the Rockies at the game and made his moment count. It delivered the NL’s first win in the Midsummer Classic since 2012.
2. German Marquez delights the home crowd
2021 All-Star Game, Denver
MVP: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
In the midst of a fantastic season, many thought Marquez might be the starting pitcher for the National League in his home ballpark. However, Marquez entered the game in the fourth inning and electrified the crowd, needing only 13 pitches to get through the frame.
Marquez, who had posted a 0.75 ERA in his five starts leading up to the All-Star Game, struck out Kansas City’s Salvador Perez to end the frame, earning a standing ovation from the crowd of 49,184.
The ball never left the infield while Marquez was on the mound. He drew a pair of groundouts before Perez struck out.
3. Ubaldo Jimenez starts for the National League
2010 All-Star Game, Anaheim
MVP: Brian McCann, Atlanta
The only Colorado pitcher to start an All-Star Game, Jimenez allowed two hits over two innings, walking one and striking out one during his 25-pitch performance.
That year was indeed magical for Jimenez as he pitched Colorado’s only no-hitter, a gem on April 17, 2010, in Atlanta. It was part of a season in which he finished 19-8 with a 2.88 ERA, capping off what was the most historic campaign for a Rockies pitcher since the team was established in 1993.
4. Nolan Arenado shows his skills
2017 All-Star Game, Miami
MVP: Robinson Cano, Seattle
Starting at third base for the National League, Arenado went 2-for-2 during his time at the hot corner, registering a pair of singles. One of four Rockies named to the All-Star squad — along with outfielder Charlie Blackmon, second baseman DJ LeMahieu and reliever Greg Holland — Arenado’s two hits represented the most by any NL player in the game.
Those two hits are also the most by a Rockies player in an All-Star Game.
5. Larry Walker vs. Randy Johnson
1997 All-Star Game, Cleveland
MVP: Sandy Alomar Jr., Cleveland
In one of the most memorable moments in All-Star Game history, Colorado outfielder Larry Walker, batting left-handed, stood in the batter’s box as Seattle’s Randy Johnson sailed a pitch well over Walker’s head. Sensing a chance to capitalize on a Midsummer Game moment, Walker gathered himself and turned his batting helmet around as he moved over to the other side of the plate, batting right-handed.
The move drew a smile from the stoic Johnson as he stepped off the mound before firing another pitch high for a ball. Walker then moved back to the left side of the plate to continue the at-bat, eventually drawing a walk.
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Three future Rockies All-Stars
1. IF Ethan Holliday — Our prediction: 2029
Jackson Holliday, Ethan’s brother, needed fewer than two years after being drafted to reach the big-league club in Baltimore. With that timeline, it’s possible the younger Holliday could be at Coors Field in 2027, giving him a pair of seasons to establish himself and earn his first All-Star bid.
2. SS Ezequiel Tovar — 2026
Tovar is a cornerstone for the Rockies and has the defensive skills to earn more Gold Gloves after his first last season. If he can stay healthy and find a consistent swing, Tovar could be in contention for an All-Star Game bid sooner rather than later.
3. P Seth Halvorsen — 2027
Colorado has a history of closers making it to the All-Star Game, and Halvorsen’s ability to register triple-digits on the radar gun could earn him not only the ninth-inning spot in the Rockies bullpen, but also a spot in the Midsummer Classic.
(Contact Gazette sports columnist Paul Klee at paul.klee@gazette.com or on Twitter at @bypaulklee.)





