If Hancock has a solid stretch in George Kirby's stead, the Mariners could have some interesting choices to make regarding the former first round pick.
The health of the Seattle Mariners starting rotation was exemplary in 2024. It was the only rotation in baseball that had four pitchers start 30 or more games. The only pitcher that didn't, Bryan Woo, still took the mound 22 times.
Woo had two different stints on the injured list and Luis Castillo was placed on the IL toward the end of the year with a left hamstring strain. That kind of health was always unlikely to repeat, and it's already being tested. George Kirby will miss at least two starts in the regular season due to right shoulder inflammation. For the second year in a row, the Mariners No. 6 starter, Emerson Hancock, will begin the season on the 26-man roster. Last year he filled in for Woo, and this year he'll be in for Kirby. Hancock did an admirable job last season filling in for Woo and Castillo . He started 12 games and finished the year with a 4.75 ERA. He had 39 strikeouts in 60.2 innings pitched.embarrassment of riches on the pitching staff has created a pecking order that Hancock hasn't been able to consistently break through. But that begs the question — what would happen if Hancock takes a step forward in 2025? Hancock has made 15 major league starts in two seasons. Last year, when Woo returned healthy, Hancock was optioned back to the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers. Such is the norm for the No. 6 starter on an elite rotation. But Hancock has looked better in spring training compared to his previous stints in the major leagues. In Hancock's last two starts in the Cactus League on March 14 and March 19, he's pitched eight innings and has allowed a combined one earned run on 10 hits with five strikeouts. He's walked just one batter in those outings. Four of those strikeouts came in his latest start. His ERA dropped from 9.53 before those starts to 4.61 after March 19. Emerson Hancock has put a ton of work in this offseason to improve his repertoire. In today’s outing he flashed his new FC and used his new ST multiple times. Also hit 96.2, a new highHancock has been fine-tuning and refining his arsenal in the offseason and spring training. So far, his sweeper has yielded the biggest results. Hancock isn't going to supersede Kirby or any other pitcher on the rotation. But if he does show significant improvement, it's hard to justify stowing him back in Tacoma.The first one, and possibly the most beneficial one to the team, is the Mariners go to a six-man rotation. This was a scenario floated out when the team was pursuing current Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki in the offseason. The decreased workload for the rotation would help mitigate future injuries. The second possibility — the Mariners could package Hancock, or another starting pitcher, in an in-season trade. Seattle received trade inquiries about all five members of its rotation in the offseason. There was smoke about a potential deal, but nothing materialized. Other trade inquiries involved deals the front office didn't feel were worth breaking up the rotation for. If Hancock does improve, the Mariners would have six quality starters other teams could be interested in. If Seattle finds itself in the same position it was last July, having six solid-to-elite starting pitchers could help the organization find a quality bat. The third hypothetical, and the most likely, is that he gets optioned back to the Rainiers and waits in the wings for another injury situation. If Hancock does pitch well and is still optioned back down to Triple-A, the potential for a trade still remains.SEATTLE MARINERS WILL HAVE OVER A DOZEN NATIONALLY TELEVISED GAMES: The Mariners will be able to be seen by a national audience on several different channels and streaming services in 2025.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Seattle Mariners Pitcher Emerson Hancock Discusses Pitch-Mix, Spring Training DebutHancock talked about working to expand his arsenal and his solid debut in spring training against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Read more »
Seattle Mariners Pitcher Bryce Miller Has Solid Start in Spring Training GameMiller picked up right where he left off with a solid outing against the San Francisco Giants on Thursday.
Read more »
Park Hotels & Resorts REIT: Lots of Potential Upside From Diversified PortfolioMarket Analysis by covering: Park Hotels & Resorts Inc. Read 's Market Analysis on Investing.com
Read more »
Salesforce: An Early AI Opportunity With Long-Term PotentialMarket Analysis by covering: Salesforce Inc. Read 's Market Analysis on Investing.com
Read more »
Alphabet’s Officially in a Bear Market—Time to Buy or More Pain Ahead?Market Analysis by covering: Alphabet Inc Class A. Read 's Market Analysis on Investing.com
Read more »
Amazon Stock Down 20%: Why This Could Be the Best Time to Load Up?Market Analysis by covering: S&P 500, Amazon.com Inc. Read 's Market Analysis on Investing.com
Read more »