Georgia Baseball: Will Emerson Hancock be the first pick of the 2020 Draft?
By Josh Stone
Georgia baseball has never had a player selected first overall in the MLB Draft. With this year’s top prospect being a Dawg, this draft could be different.
Georgia baseball has always had a squad of talented baseball players, year-in and year-out. Players with childhood dreams of making it to the “Big League” are scattered across Foley Field at each position. This season is no different.
Given the talent Georgia baseball has on its roster each season, it is a common occurrence for several of these gifted athletes to hear their names called during the MLB Draft. The Diamond Dawgs have sent quite a few of their studs on to “The Show.”
However, It is not so common for one of these studs to make the short list of players projected to go first overall in the 2020 MLB Draft. Until Emerson Hancock.
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Hancock is a 6-4, right-handed pitcher for the Bulldogs. He has a fastball that hits close to triple digits at the beginning of a game and stays in the mid-90s into the deeper innings. Hancock can also ring a batter up with his change-up or slider, and scouts love the movement on his pitches.
The Bulldogs’ starting pitcher hails from Cairo, Ga., where he pitched for the Syrupmakers at Cairo High School. During his senior season, Hancock struck out 125 batters in just 65 innings, while compiling an 11-1 record with a 0.75 ERA. The Arizona Diamondbacks drafted him in the 38th round of the 2017 MLB Draft, which would’ve been a lot higher had he not already planned to attend Georgia.
Now in his Junior season, Hancock had established himself as the Bulldogs’ pitching ace by having a phenomenal sophomore year. The 20-year-old ended his sophomore campaign at 8-3, with an incredibly low 1.99 ERA. He also tossed 97 strikeouts and walked just 18 batters in 90.1 innings. Hancock earned First-Team All-SEC honors and Second-Team All-American honors from Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball, and D1Baseball.com. He was also a semi-finalist for the Golden Spikes Award.
So, what are the chances of Emerson Hancock being selected first overall in this year’s draft? MLB.com has Hancock No. 1 on its list of 2020 draft prospects. Arizona State’s Spencer Torkelson is another top prospect that could be in contention for the first pick. Ultimately, that decision will come down to two things; the Detroit Tigers’ needs as a team, and if there is a clear front-runner when the draft arrives on June 10.
The Stone Cold Truth
If I’m the Detroit Tigers, there is no way I’m letting Emerson “Bringer of Heat” Hancock slip through my hands. Either way, the kid is getting paid. But, pass up on him, and he just might make you pay for a long, long time. And that is the Stone Cold Truth.