Each spring brings helium to players of intrigue. One of this year’s candidates will be Garrett Hampson . Before reaching for him, be sure to check league settings for his eligibility. Colorado’s been playing him all over the diamond in spring. Hampson’s appeared at second base, shortstop, center field and in left field. While many hope Hampson will be the primary second baseman for the Rockies, he also could morph into a super utility player or their eventual center fielder.
Hampson did get a cup of coffee with the Rockies last year, but he spent most of time split between Double and Triple-A. In 110 combined games in the minors, Hampson scored 81 runs with 10 home runs, 40 RBI, 36 stolen bases and a .311/.382/.462 slash line. Those hunting for stolen bases will be honing in on his 36 steals last year in only 444 at-bats. Over 1,233 career at-bats in the minors, Hampson stole 123 bases of his 146 attempts for an 84 percent success rate.
This spring, Hampson’s been hot with six runs, three home runs, six RBI, six stolen bases and a .313/.371/.625 slash. Last year, Hampson recorded a 12.2 walk percentage against a 9.9 strikeout percentage at Double-A while walking nine percent of his plate appearances at Triple-A versus a 17.5 strikeout rate. Hampson’s discipline along with his speed could translate to a profit in drafts this year, if he gets enough at-bats.
Before paying full price for Hampson’s spring and speed, he tends to hit the ball on the ground, which Coors Field will not insulate. Here’s Hampson’s spray chart from last year showing all of his batted balls from both levels:
Hampson’s speed did keep his BABIP above .370 at both levels in 2018 and he can bunt. There are ways for him to get on base and wreak havoc on them. For his career, Hampson’s hit .315/.389/.457 in the minors. Owning an on-base of almost 39-percent should get fantasy owners attention.
Like many rookies, Hampson’s projections will be in layers of outcomes. This sampling properly displays the worst-case scenario along with the best case:
If an owner takes Hampson before pick 180 in a draft will not want to see THE BAT’s projection come to fruition. However, if Hampson gets close to the ZiPS one, he’s a steal. With stolen bases in demand along with Hampson potentially adding positional eligibility as the season progresses, then targeting him makes sense. But, Ryan McMahon could start at second base, which would put Hampson in a platoon there then need at-bats in the outfield to stay mixed league viable. Invest with eyes wide open.
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Statistical Credits:
Fangraphs.com
MLBfarm.com
MiLB.com
Baseball-Reference.com
THE BAT courtesy of Derek Carty
ATC courtesy of Ariel Cohen
ZiPS courtesy of Dan Szymborski
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