Mariners' Emerson Hancock pairs dominant strikeouts with concerning contact

Emersonn Hancock was a standout at the University of Georgia for three years. He caught the attention of the Seattle Mariners, who drafted him with the sixth overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft. 

He made his MLB debut back in 2023, but has not necessarily stuck around. He spent his time between the big-league club and Triple-A in 2024.

But, he did appear in a career-high 22 games last season, compiling a 4-5 record with a 4.90 ERA across 90 innings of work, and is looking to improve on that this season. 

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Mariners' Emerson Hancock pairs dominant strikeouts with concerning contact 

This spring, Hancock has looked solid, but there are some concerns with his game. He has appeared in five games, striking out 21, walking one, on 16 hits, and a concerning 5.40 ERA.

His strikeouts rank among some of the best this spring, but that ERA is hard to overlook. Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer isn't sure what to make of it. 

"The ERA is ugly, but Hancok's 21 strikeouts are second among all pitchers for the spring. When paired with just one walk, you can't help but wonder if the Mariners finally have something with their 2020 first-rounder. Evidence in favor of 'yes' includes the third-highest whiff rate of any starter this spring. But he's also been hit even harder this spring than he was in the majors last year, when he ran a 4.90 ERA over 90 innings."

To fight for a starting role in this Seattle rotation is going to be tough. They have one of the best rotations in baseball on paper, but Hancock could still play a vital role for the club if he can calm down his ERA.

There is a need for a multi-inning role in the bullpen for Seattle. That could fall to Hancock, or he could be stretched out in Triple-A to start the season, ready to go if any of the starters go down. 

Either way, he will have to dial back the hard-hit rate he has given up this spring.

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