Mariners bullpen project has hit a low point in the best way possible

The Seattle Mariners’ pitching staff has always been a source of intrigue, both for its uncanny ability to churn out young arms and its willingness to experiment when the situation calls for it. But even by their standards, Emerson Hancock’s transformation into a bullpen weapon has been one of the more surprising developments of the 2025 season.

A former first-round pick with a starter’s pedigree, Hancock had bounced around the edges of Seattle’s rotation, flashing moments of promise while also showing the inconsistency that often comes with young arms. The front office, however, saw an opportunity to reimagine him as a high-leverage reliever. A decision that is suddenly paying dividends in a way that feels almost too good to be true.

Mariners bullpen experiment with Hancock is paying off in dominance

Seattle’s bullpen has been a point of both strength and stress over the years, with names like Andrés Muñoz and Matt Brash carving their own legacies in the most recent seasons. Yet as this team continues its quest for a deep October run, the need for fresh arms in the late innings has become clear.

Enter Hancock, whose newfound delivery and rising velocity have turned him from a middling fringe major leaguer to a potential difference-maker out of the ‘pen. The Mariners may have stumbled onto a formula that could keep their bullpen feared for years to come.

Hancock’s latest performance, stepping in as an emergency starter with Bryan Woo sidelined by a pectoral injury, felt like a revelation. Four innings, two hits, no earned runs, and seven strikeouts — it was dominance in its purest form, and perhaps the clearest sign yet that this “project” has real staying power. 

What’s fueling this sudden rise is a dramatic shift in how Hancock attacks hitters. Once a more traditional over-the-top righty, he’s now slinging pitches much lower from a near-sidearm slot with an extreme horizontal release point. That new angle has completely altered the shape of his arsenal.

His sinker and four-seamer are averaging 96–97 mph this month, a tick higher than anything fans saw from him in the rotation. Pair that with a sweeper that now carries strong glove-side break, and it’s no wonder Pitching Ninja clips of Hancock have started to circulate across X.

The Mariners may have reached a “low point” with Hancock — not in terms of performance, but in terms of his new arm slot. And it’s turning into a high point for the team. Baseball history is littered with stories of pitchers who reinvented themselves and extended their careers. Hancock’s reinvention isn’t about survival, though; it’s about finding a weapon that could shift the balance of power in October.

If Hancock keeps this up, Seattle may look back on this experiment as one of the most important moves of the season — proof that sometimes, going low is the best way to rise.