Emerson Hancock of the American League pitches during the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game against the National League at Dodger Stadium on July 16, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Starting pitcher Emerson Hancock, the No. 4 Seattle Mariners prospect on MLBpipeline.com has been called up to the Major Leagues from Double-A Arkansas, MLBTradeRumors.com reported.
The right-hander is expected to be added to the active roster on Wednesday. During the regular season, Hancock started in 20 games, throwing 98 innings and going 11-5 with a 4.32 ERA while allowing 83 hits, 47 earned runs, nine home runs, 38 walks, and 107 strikeouts with a 1.235 WHIP.
Hancock’s strikeouts-to-walks ratio is 23.2 since the All-Star break, and his whiff rate is 31.7%. His fastball tops out at 94 mph.
Hancock was selected as the sixth overall pick in the 2020 Major League Baseball Draft after his COVID-19 Pandemic shortened junior season at the University of Georgia. He signed with the Mariners’ organization after his junior year, getting a $5.7 million signing bonus on June 25, 2020.
In three seasons at the University of Georgia, Hancock went 16-7 with a 3.47 ERA in 33 starts, throwing 192 innings and allowing 150 hits, 74 earned runs, 15 home runs, 55 walks, and 206 strikeouts with a 1.030 WHIP.
Hancock didn’t play in his first professional season until 2021, where he started out in High-A Everett and was eventually promoted to Double-A Arkansas on August 9, 2021. Hancock was also selected for the 2021 Futures Game during All-Star week in Denver.
During his first professional season between High-A and Double-A, Hancock started in 12 games, recording a 2.62 ERA with a 3-1 record, throwing 44.2 innings and allowing 29 hits, 13 earned runs, one home run, 17 walks, and striking out 43 while posting a 1.030 WHIP.
Last season, Hancock played at Double-A Arkansas, starting in 21 games with a 7-4 record and a 3.75 ERA in 98.1 innings, allowing 80 hits, 16 home runs, 38 walks, and 92 strikeouts with a 1.200 WHIP.
The Mariners, at 60-52, in the American League West Division are six games back of the first-place Texas Rangers at 67-46. The Mariners are also still alive for an American League Wild Card, and are just three games back of the third seed Toronto Blue Jays at 64-50.
The Mariners will play their first game of their three-game home series against the San Diego Padres (55-58) tonight at 9:40 p.m. EDT. Nick Martinez (5-4, 3.68 ERA) will start for the Padres against Logan Gilbert for the Mariners (9-5 with a 3.86 ERA).
