Seattle Mariners' Emerson Hancock touches 99 in AAA relief

There’s an encouraging development brewing for the Seattle Mariners in Triple-A Tacoma.

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Right-handed pitcher Emerson Hancock, who has made 15 starts for the Mariners earlier this year, is being tried out as a potential bullpen option. And so far, the early returns are quite intriguing.

In just the second relief appearance of his pro career, Hancock twice touched 99.1 mph during Tacoma’s game against Oklahoma City on Sunday afternoon, according to Statcast. The 26-year-old retired all three batters he faced – including a strikeout of Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Hyeseong Kim, who is on a rehab assignment.

Hancock averaged 98.5 mph on his four-seam fastball and 98.0 mph on his sinker in Sunday’s outing, both up which are roughly 3.5 mph faster than his season average. Prior to Sunday, his fastest pitch as a pro was 98.2 mph during a July 29 start with Tacoma.

Hancock also touched 97.8 mph last Wednesday in his first-ever appearance out of the bullpen as a pro.

Hancock, a first-round draft pick by Seattle in 2020, has a 5.10 ERA in 30 starts for the Mariners over the past three seasons. This year in MLB play, he has a 5.47 ERA with 53 strikeouts and 30 walks in 77 1/3 innings. He has been with Tacoma since early July, making seven starts with the Rainiers before moving to the bullpen.

Seattle could use bullpen help right now. The Mariners just 20th in the majors with a bullpen WHIP of 1.32, according to FanGraphs.

Seattle Mariners’ Emerson Hancock touches 99 in AAA relief

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