March 18, 2021

Colorado Rockies infielder Garrett Hampson fell short of expectations yet again in 2020, and the calls for a breakout are getting fainter and less frequent with each passing year. Now heading into his age 26 season, the shine has worn off Hampson in the eyes of drafters. Many of his believers will blame the Rockies for not giving him enough opportunities, and while there is certainly room to criticize Colorado's player management over the past few seasons, some of the blame lies at Hampson's feet. He has failed to produce at the plate over the last two seasons, posting a combined .681 OPS and 63 wRC+ between 2019 and 2020. 2020 was perhaps the worse of the two showings, as Hampson's strikeout rate jumped to an eye-popping 32.7%. Given that Hampson's sprint speed is in the 99th percentile and he calls Coors Field home, the most important thing he can do is put the ball in play. A strikeout rate that high is untenable for Hampson's skillset and situation, and he won't last if he can't make more frequent contact. The Rockies have made it clear they want former top-prospect Brendan Rodgers to have the job at second base; he started all of his Cactus League games there before pulling his hamstring on March 12. While Rodgers injury isn't considered serious, there is currently no timetable for his return and that should be a benefit to Hampson, who was already getting reps at center field and left field this spring. His defensive versatility should increase his chances of sticking in the lineup. He'll likely shift between second base and the outfield, at least until Rodgers returns. We can't rely too much on Spring Training stats but Hampson is slashing .310/.412/.345 with three RBI and a stolen base through 29 at-bats. He's staying on brand with seven strikeouts, though. The bottom line with Hampson is that he's fast, cheap in drafts (NFBC ADP of 260.83), and plays in Colorado. Drafting him should at least provide some stolen bases, and if he can cut back on the strikeouts he could put up a solid batting average as well. Hampson isn't a bad post-hype sleeper, but he doesn't deserve a long leash, both from the Rockies and from fantasy managers.--Elliott Baas