Mariners set to call up pitching prospect Emerson Hancock on Wednesday
Mariners set to call up pitching prospect Emerson Hancock on Wednesday
Former first round pick Emerson Hancock is set to be added to the active roster on Wednesday, first reported by Robert Murray. What is the plan for Hancock? What should we expect? Let's take a look.
The Mariners continue to churn out starting pitchers, and on Tuesday it was announced another starter would be joining the Seattle rotation. Former number six overall pick Emerson Hancock is set to join the active roster on Wednesday.
The 24 year old was the sixth pick in the 2020 draft and has spent this season pitching for Double-A Arkansas. He has posted 98 innings already in Arkansas, identical to the number he pitched in 2022.
His numbers have taken a downward turn this year, with a 4.32 ERA opposed to his 3.75 last season. The numbers don’t tell the entire story here, however. Hancock has been the healthiest he has ever been in 2023, and his production has actually improved in many ways.
He is striking out significantly more hitters this season than last and has also given up seven fewer home runs in the same amount of innings pitched. Hancock, like Bryan Woo and Bryce Miller, will be approaching a new career high in innings pitched in 2023.
It is unclear at this point what Seattle will choose to do with the trio of young right-handed pitchers. Logan Gilbert is currently scheduled to pitch tonight, but with Hancock being added to the roster for tomorrow’s game it will be interesting to see if they go with him or Bryan Woo, who is currently scheduled to start.
President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto has hinted that they may go with a six-man rotation, or could piggyback Hancock with someone like Woo or Miller. Seattle also has an off day on Thursday and will be coming off an off day yesterday.
Skipping starters by using off days is a tactic they have used in the past, and it seems to make the most sense here. This way they can keep Gilbert, Kirby, and Castillo on schedule down the stretch. It will be interesting to see what strategy Seattle uses, and also who Hancock will replace on the active roster. My best guess is that he will replace Devin Sweet and will likely start tomorrow and push Woo to the Baltimore series.
As for Hancock, it is easy to see why the Mariners thought so highly of him in the 2020 draft. At 6-4, Hancock has a big frame and a good arm and certainly looks the part of a front-line starter.
He relies on a four-pitch mix, four-seam and two-seam fastball, changeup, and slider. The tall righthander doesn’t get a ton out of his fastball, a decent two-seamer that sits 92-95 and occasionally touches 97. He tends to lean on the two-seamer, which doesn’t move quite enough to miss any bats.
His changeup is probably his best pitch and certainly is his best chance to get swing and miss. It has a chance to be a plus pitch moving forward. His slider is a work in progress still and is probably the pitch his development is going to depend on the most. This pitch was dominant at times in college and still flashes, but it isn’t a finished product or a consistent swing-and-miss pitch.
Hancock is probably a number four or number five starter right now, with a slight chance to be a number three if he can harness his slider.
Overall this is a very interesting, but expected move. I don’t think it is a coincidence that he is being called up in a week when they have two off days. The Mariners are cooking up a plan to give each young starter adequate rest, so keep an eye out for any news about how they intend to deploy their starters.
