Seattle Mariners Starter Emerson Hancock Ready For His Number to Be Called

PEORIA, Ariz. — There are very few jobs in baseball as thankless as being the No. 6 pitcher on a starting rotation.

As the No. 6 starter, you're often wading through Triple-A day-by-day, hoping to get your number called. But even when you do, it's often not for a good reason. It usually means somebody's hurt or underperforming. And that adds scrutiny to the person tasked with filling in. And when the injured or lackluster pitcher is on his way back, it's back to the minor leagues for No. 6.

That's been Emerson Hancock's entire career with the Seattle Mariners the last two years. He started 12 games across a trio of injured list-stints for Bryan Woo and Luis Castillo in 2025. Hancock posted a 4.75 ERA and struck out 39 batters in 60.2 innings pitched. In 2023, Hancock started three games and had a 4.50 ERA. He fanned six batters in 12 innings pitched.

Hancock will be called on again due to a right-shoulder injury suffered by George Kirby. The Mariners shut him down on Friday. Team general manager Justin Hollander said Kirby is week-to-week and could miss the first 10 games of the season. That means Hancock is tentatively scheduled to start at least two games for Seattle in Kirby's stead.

"I think the first thing is, understanding that — obviously, you kind of feel for George a little bit. I've been through injuries. And it's kind of like I've said, it's a difficult place to be. But he'll be fine, he'll bounce back. He's a competitor. And the role is what it is. It's my job to be ready and just go out there and give us a chance when you get an opportunity. And you really do have to take it day-by-day, because it got to be one of the last couple days (of spring training) last year before I even knew (I would start). And your plans change, and now you're on the team. So, the only thing about it is, you just got to stay present and take the ball whenever you get a chance."

During Hancock's bullpen session on Monday before a game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Kirby was sitting next to Hancock and was watching his temporary replacement intensely.

"We all enjoy watching each other. Anytime any of our guys get on the mound, I want to watch," Hancock said. "Just because, we have such a good staff. We have just such a good collection of pitchers altogether. George is there, he's like 'nice pitch.' And it's like, same thing. If he was throwing, it's the same way. We just have a lot of fun kind of watching each other go about it."

Bullpen session for Emerson Hancock - showing off some secondary stuff. #Mariners #TridentsUp pic.twitter.com/PlTSeuDwRG
— Teren Kowatsch (@Teren_Kowatsch) March 10, 2025

Hancock's arsenal for his two presumed starts will be more diverse than it was the last time he filled in.

Hancock has talked several times this offseason about adding and re-working his repertoire. So far, the biggest addition has been a sweeper.

"I think the sweeper is going to be a really important piece for me just because of the way I like to move the ball left-to-right with the sinker," Hancock said. "So something to do the same way, with a right-handed hitter going the opposite way, gives me another option. I just think it's going to be a really good pitch. I think it's going to be something that, you might get some swing-and-miss on, something that you can throw ahead in the count. And then it lets you go back to work with the sinker-changeup. So I really like the sweeper so far."

Hancock isn't alone in his tinkering. Every single starting pitcher, and even some relievers, have added or tweaked some pitch this big league camp. Hancock said the environment is friendly to that. And the hope is that he can take his own lessons and work, combine that into the work he's doing in the spring, and transfer that into the regular season.

Something like his first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday, where he struck out three consecutive batters in the first inning after he walked the lead-off hitter and committed a balk to move him to second.

Emerson Hancock sitting 94.5 and getting seven whiffs in two innings pic.twitter.com/a9YdgYBIcY
— Mariner Muse (@MarinerMuse) March 8, 2025

"I think the biggest thing is, even when I was down (in Triple-A) a lot last year, you kind of learn who you are and what works," Hancock said. "You get a little bit of a taste of it, and you kind of see, and then you understand, alright, 'this is what I do well and that's what I have to do well in a night-in and night-out basis.' And I think this offseason and going into this camp, I understand that a lot better. It's a little bit more clearer. And it just kind of gives you a little bit of freedom to go out there and just do what you do well."

Hancock will get the ramped-up starts for the rest of spring training originally intended for Kirby. Hancock has a 9.53 ERA with nine strikeouts in 5.2 innings pitched across three starts, but has steadily improved as spring training has gone on.

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