Almost one year ago, I wrote the second entry in our draft preview series on an SEC pitcher named Emerson Hancock who at the time projected to be the second overall pick in the draft and the first pitcher off the board. Today that player has been drafted by the Mariners, because life comes at you fast, and a year in draft time is like five years in regular time.
Hancock is the kind of SEC ace in the tradition of Brady Singer, Casey Mize, Alex Faedo, Aaron Nola, etc. that I’ve watched other teams draft in the top 10 picks with no small degree of jealousy over the past few draft cycles, knowing that when the Mariners’ turn came they’d be picking from the George Kirbys and Logan Gilberts and Isaiah Campbells tier—not bad pitchers in any way, but not the frontline aces of a top 10.