Mariners' infamous 2020 draft bust may be the key to unlocking their bullpen

It’s not the move anyone saw coming, but it just might work. The Seattle Mariners are experimenting with 2020 first-rounder Emerson Hancock in a bullpen role, and it could end up being a game-changer.

Hancock worked an inning in relief for Triple-A Tacoma on Wednesday, a rare sight for the right-hander who’s flashing some intriguing stuff. He touched 96.8 mph and notched a strikeout. And while he gave up a run on two hits, it was less about the results and more about the possibilities.

For Hancock, possibilities might be all that’s left.

Emerson Hancock’s surprise bullpen stint could be Mariners’ secret weapon

Let’s be honest: Hancock has been leapfrogged in the pecking order.

Drafted in between Logan Gilbert (2018) and George Kirby (2019), he was supposed to be part of the next wave of Mariners’ ace-tier starters. But while Gilbert and Kirby are mainstays in the rotation, and Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo — both drafted after Hancock — have cemented themselves as valuable arms, Hancock is still searching for a role. His career 5.10 ERA across 150 big-league innings hasn’t inspired much confidence, especially in a system that’s built its reputation on elite pitching development.

Now, the answer for Hancock might lie in the bullpen. With the rotation finally healthy again, the former first-rounder is looking at a bit of a crossroads. If he’s no longer a future starter in Seattle, how can he stick around?

Velocity is a big part of it. Hancock’s stuff ticked up in relief, as it often does when a starter is free to let it rip for an inning. But in his case, the recent uptick has been especially noticeable. And it raises a legitimate question: What if the best version of Emerson Hancock isn’t as a starter at all?

It wouldn’t be a wild deviation. In fact, the Mariners would be copying a play right out of Milwaukee’s book. The Brewers, who just so happen to own the best record in baseball have used their surplus of starting pitching to convert arms like DL Hall and Aaron Ashby into bridge relievers. It’s worked brilliantly. Both have helped shorten games, protect leads, and preserve bullpen depth in ways traditional relievers often can’t.

And if there’s one thing Seattle’s bullpen could use, it’s length. The team’s been on a bullpen roller coaster all season long, regularly stretching arms thin due to short outings from the rotation or extra-inning chaos. A guy like Hancock, who can give you two innings or more, could be a critical piece to stabilize things.

No, this isn’t what the Mariners envisioned when they drafted Hancock out of Georgia. But at this stage, salvaging value matters. If he can find new life as a bullpen weapon, even as a multi-inning bridge guy, it not only helps the team — but may finally give him the consistent major league role that’s eluded him for the past several years.