Seattle Mariners to Call Up Top Pitching Prospect Emerson Hancock For MLB Debut

Emerson Hancock, who is ranked as the No. 1 pitcher and No. 4 overall prospect in the Mariners' farm system, will reportedly join Seattle's rotation.

The Seattle Mariners are calling up top pitching prospect Emerson Hancock, according to a report from FanSided MLB Insider Robert Murray on Tuesday. MLB.com's Daniel Kramer and Seattle Sports' Shannon Drayer later confirmed Murray's initial report.

Hancock is making the leap to the big leagues straight from Double-A, where he has spent the past two seasons. Across 44 career minor league starts, the right-hander is 21-10 with a 3.77 ERA and 1.183 WHIP.

Over his last 10 starts, Hancock has a 2.97 ERA with a 1.02 WHIP, a .222 batting average against and just 1.9 walks per nine innings.

The Mariners took Hancock with the No. 6 overall selection in the 2020 MLB Draft, plucking him out of the University of Georgia. Two years after signing a $5.7 million deal with Seattle, Hancock suited up in the 2022 All-Star Futures Game.

Hancock struck out the side and tossed a scoreless inning in Los Angeles that day, further cementing his spot among the top pitchers in the minor leagues.

The 24-year-old is currently ranked as the Mariners' No. 1 pitcher and No. 4 overall prospect, and he ranked inside MLB.com's Top 100 for the past two years.

It remains to be seen how the Mariners will make room for Hancock on their 26-man roster, or when exactly he is slated to make his major league debut. Logan Gilbert and Bryan Woo are penciled in to start against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, while the team has yet to make any announcements about their rotation against the Baltimore Orioles.

At the very least, Hancock should be able to help Gilbert and Woo save innings moving forward. Both of those young righties have routinely been going into the sixth and seventh innings as of late, which has led to some concerns about fatigue with a playoff push on the horizon.

The Mariners' three-game home series against the Orioles starts Friday at 10:10 p.m. ET.

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