As a Reno, NV guy myself, I have a soft spot for Garrett Hampson. The Reno High School product was one of the top players in the state, and he eventually continued his amateur playing career at Long Beach State. He performed so well there that the Colorado Rockies decided to take him in the 3rd round of the MLB Draft.
Hampson joins the Royals after one of his best seasons in a utility role with the Miami Marlins, where he posted a 1.3 WAR, according to baseball reference. Hampson hit okay last year as he posted a .276/.349/.380 slash line with three home runs, 12 doubles, and 23 RBI. The bat has never been his calling card, although, for years, many were hoping the bat would come around, especially in Colorado.
Hampson started to play well at the season’s end and saw more time on the playing field. Most of his counting stats came in September and October as the Marlins were making their playoff push and Bryan De La Cruz was on day-to-day with an injury.
What makes Hampson the most valuable is his defensive versatility and speed. The 29-year-old played most of his games in the outfield for the Marlins but also played shortstop, second base, and third base. Hampson isn’t elite at any position, but he plays most of them fairly well and should provide the Royals a safety net, especially in the outfield, where they have some questions in left field with MJ Melendez’s defensive ability.
Hampson is also known for his speed, even though it doesn’t appear in the stolen base column. He ranked in the 98th percentile in sprint speed, which plays well in the outfield when he is out there tracking down baseballs. He might be able to provide more of an on-base speed threat if the Quatraro utilizes him that way like he did Blanco.
It seemed like many questioned the signing of Hampson since they had the likes of Nick Loftin and Samad Taylor on the roster, who have the ability to play the same defensive versatility role. The Royal eventually traded Taylor to the Mariners as they went out and signed another utility-type player in Adam Frazier. Regardless, it is quite clear that Hampson is there as a defensive substitution and bench player. It’d be hard to see Hampson come in and take a ton of at-bats away from guys like Massey, Garcia, Melendez, and Isbel.
Hampson was good in his utility role for the Marlins, and I imagine he will play the same role in Kansas City. If someone is injured, slide in Hampson to fill in. If someone is having a cold steak, Hampson will take some at-bats and the load off that player. It’s not the most exciting offseason acquisition, but it makes sense for a team that struggled to fill in the gaps when players fell to injury or struggled. It’ll be interesting to see how the battle between him and Nick Loftin this spring, especially since Loftin came up last year and performed well.
