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Emerson Hancock 2020 MLB Draft Profile
Emerson Hancock is a right-handed pitcher from Cairo, Georgia and plays for the Georgia Bulldogs. Hancock is one of the top prospects and maybe even the top pitching prospect in the 2020 MLB Draft. During his time at UGA, Hancock was an immediate starter and earned a role in their weekend rotation. As a freshman, Hancock had a 6-4 record with a 5.10 ERA, 75 strikeouts and a 1.35 WHIP. As a sophomore, Hancock became one of the top pitchers in the country. Hancock had an 8-3 ERA with a 1.99 ERA, 97 strikeouts and .185 opponent batting average. In his shortened junior season, Hancock had a 2-0 record with a 3.75 ERA and struck out 34 in 24 innings pitched.
At 6-4, 213 pounds, Hancock is a long-build pitcher with a power fastball and has good command on all three of his off-speed pitches. Hancock’s best pitch is his mid-to-upper 90s fastball that tops out at 99 mph with some life. His slider and his changeup are his best two off-speed pitches. Hancock’s slider is his strikeout pitch gets a lot of swing-and-miss.
Emerson Hancock, 95mph Fastball/83mph Slider combo (from my SEC Network feature ). pic.twitter.com/b8xatiDC4V
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 19, 2019
He also has good command on his curveball and changeup. Hancock didn’t use his changeup a lot but it has the ability to be a plus pitch.
Strengths
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- Power fastball
- Four-pitch mix
- Gets swing and miss on all four of his pitches
- Plays against elite competition
- Fills up strike zone
- Ace potential
- Mixes his pitches well
Weaknesses
- Needs to improve on command
- Doesn’t trust changeup
Pro Comparison: Casey Mize
Projection: Top 10 draft pick
Bottom Line
Emerson Hancock is another elite arm expected to remain on the board long enough to add to the Miami Marlins rotation. With the third overall pick, Hancock could be one of the options for the Fish. He’s a gifted pitcher with a power fastball who also throws three average-to-above-average secondary pitches.
Going into the college baseball season, Hancock was expected to go #1 overall. He didn’t have the season he wanted to have, but Hancock is a proven arm that can move through the minor league system rapidly. The Miami Marlins already have two potential frontline arms in the farm system with Sixto Sanchez and Edward Cabrera. Hancock can bring that same type of potential to further reinforce the Marlins’ loaded farm system.