Kansas City Royals' Garrett Hampson Goes Viral For Crazy Stats in Broadcast Graphic Error
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Utility man Garrett Hampson had a commendable 2023 season with the Miami Marlins, posting the highest batting average and WAR of his six-year MLB career.
Hampson did not, however, shatter any records or break the basic math at the center of baseball statistics, which may be news to Bally Sports' production team.
The broadcast of Sunday's game between the Los Angeles Angels and Kansas City Royals – Hampson's new team – featured an odd graphic when the veteran first stepped up to the plate. He was credited with hitting .276 with 61 home runs and 23 RBI in 252 games with the Marlins last year.
A few fans noted the absurdity of the graphic in real time, but screenshots really started to go viral on social media Monday.
Hampson was credited with the same wild stat line later in the game, as part of an entirely different graphic summarizing his 2023 production.
Of course, those numbers weren't pulled out of thin air.
Hampson recorded 61 hits, not 61 home runs, in 2023. He also didn't find a way to play 252 games within a 162-game schedule – rather, he had 252 plate appearances in 98 games.
As for Hampson's .276 batting average and 23 RBI, those figures were accurate.
Hampson spent the first five years of his big league career with the Colorado Rockies, spending 2020 and 2021 as a near-everyday player at second base, shortstop and center field. Colorado let Hampson walk after 2022, though, allowing him to sign a minor league deal with Miami and work his way up through that organization.
For his career, Hampson is a .241 hitter with 29 home runs, 113 RBI, 57 stolen bases, a .676 OPS and a 1.5 WAR.
The Royals signed Hampson to a one-year, $2 million contract in November.
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