Colorado Rockies: Garrett Hampson, 2B
If it is true that Daniel Murphy is moving to 1st base, it appears as if speedy 2nd baseman Garrett Hampson will be Colorado’s replacement for DJ Lemahieu at 2nd base. After a 24 start stint in September of 2018, it’s no surprise that Rockies fans are excited for the former 3rd-round-pick to finally be apart of their lineup. Hampson was ranked 5th among all 2nd base prospects by MLB.com and 2nd among all Rockies farm hands by Prospects Live.
Although Hampson isn’t expected to have much power at all, he is still rightfully hyped up by scouts. Hampson’s best skill is his speed. Statcast tracked his sprint speed at 30.0 mph, which ranked 8th highest among all major leaguers recorded. In addition to his speed, Hampson proved he had plus infield range as well as positional versatility. With the bat, Hampson displays well above-average contact abilities. The lack of power hurts his upside, but overall Hampson is an incredibly skilled player.
In his short debut season, Hampson walked nearly 15% of the time, hit 4 extra-base hits in 40 at-bats, and overall had a 108 wRC+. Once he gets more consistent playing time, his defense is expected to impress even more and he should be able to cut down his strikeout rate. Hampson has dominated every level of the minors and the hope for Colorado is that he continues that to help to the big-league club.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Alex Verdugo, RF
After a few years of patiently waiting for his debut, Verdugo looks poised to stay up in the major leagues for the entirety of 2019. Whether he is able to secure a starting spot on the talented and deep Dodgers remains up in the air, but with Joc Pederson trade rumors, it seems plausible that he become the starter early in the season even without injuries. Verdugo should be able to play all 3 outfield spots if the Dodgers need him to. If they need him to hit against left-handed pitchers while Pederson or Max Muncy sit, his minor league track record against them suggests that it shouldn’t be an issue.
The 22-year-old is as ready for the big leagues as he will ever be. Although he only has an 86 wRC+ in 52 spread-out MLB games, there is enough to suggest he should be able to compete at the highest level next season. In over 200 AAA games, Verdugo was over 20% better than league average at the plate, showing off his elite bat-to-ball skills and a little bit of power as well. Although the results haven’t come out of it yet, Verdugo made contact with 6% more pitches than the MLB average, which is very impressive for a younger player. In terms of power potential, Verdugo’s max exit velocity in 2018 was 110.4 mph, which is not great but about average. Should Verdugo get significant playing time, his floor seems pretty low considering his age.
Verdugo was ranked 35th of all baseball prospects by MLB.com, as they described his hitting ability as noteworthy: “Few prospects can rival Verdugo’s pure hitting ability, which translated into a .309 average (.321 in Triple-A) with an 11 percent strikeout rate in his first five Minor League seasons. He has demonstrated advanced pitch recognition and strike-zone management since entering pro ball, and he makes line-drive contact to all fields with ease.” On the defensive side of things, Verdugo should have the range to play in center, but also the arm to play in right.
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