Hancock hurls hitless ball in Double-A debut
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Everyone wants to impress in a debut. Emerson Hancock did that. And then some.
The Mariners' No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline (and No. 21 overall) threw 4 2/3 hitless innings with six strikeouts and one walk in his first taste of Double-A ball in Arkansas' 14-4 rout of Springfield at Dickey Stephens Park on Wednesday night.
Hancock threw 64 pitches, 34 for strikes. The 22-year-old right-hander, whom Seattle selected sixth overall in the 2020 Draft, is on the fast track toward the Majors -- his first Minor League assignment came earlier this year with High-A Everett, where he posted a 2.32 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP in nine starts.
The way he's opened his professional career, Hancock's starts are becoming must-see events. If he continues down this road, he may not be in the Minors much longer.