Hampson shows skills bunting, hitting harder

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ.» Sunday in the third inning, Rockies roadrunner Garrett Hampson dropped a perfect bunt down the third-base line, catching the Chicago Cubs’ Kris Bryant by surprise for a no-throw single.

Then in the fifth inning, Hampson noticed Bryant shuffling toward home, so Hampson attacked a 2-1 pitch, scooting it down the line for a double.

“I have a green light to bunt. That’s part of my game,” Hampson said. “I saw Bryant cheating up on the grass, and I was able to drive one by him. Being able to bunt moves defenses around, and it plays to my favor, for sure.”

Such is the mind-set of the 24-year-old Hampson, whose speed, smarts and old-school skills make him Colorado’s most versatile young player.

“That’s what we’re so excited about with Garrett and his potential as a majorleague player — the allaround game he can play,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “He’s a fellow who is fundamentally sound on both offense and defense.

“He can lay a bunt down, for a sacrifice or a hit. If you put a hit-and-run sign on, he’s going to make contact and put the ball on the ground. The way he runs the bases is outstanding. And he’s got a little bit of sneaky pop, as evidenced by his (three) home runs this spring.”

Hampson made a splash after his big-league debut last July, hitting .275 (11-for40) with a .396 on-base percentage in 24 games. He entered spring training with his sights set on winning the starting second-base job. But Ryan McMahon’s sizzling spring — a .457 average, three home runs, seven doubles, 1.348 OPS — means that he will probably start the season opener March 28 at Miami. Hampson, however, has had a solid camp, too, and he’ll see plenty of time this season at second base, as a reserve outfielder and as a pinch hitter.

Hampson, who played at Long Beach State, advanced quickly through the minors, starting at short-season Boise in 2016, playing at high-A Lancaster in 2017, and then jumping from Double-A Hartford to Triple-A Albuquerque to the Rockies in the span of 3K months last year.

“It shows the kind of baseball skill and background he has,” Black said. “He’s a guy who thinks the game, talks the game, asks good questions. In the dugout, he’s a clear thinker. He’s poised and can play multiple positions, and he doesn’t scare off at any of them.”

Hampson honed his bunting skills in college under assistant head coach Jesse Zepeda.

“At Long Beach, if you didn’t know how to bunt, you aren’t going to see the field,” said Hampson. “Being a speed guy, bunting gives me a chance to get to first base. Bunting is a lost art. There are a lot of hits out there, in a lot of different ways.”