Hancock shines in Futures Game appearance

Published 2:50 pm Monday, July 18, 2022

CAIRO — Given a chance to pitch at the the Major League Baseball (MLB) Futures game on Saturday, former Cairo High standout Emerson Hancock made the most of his opportunity.

The Seattle Mariners farmhand pitched one inning of relief and struck out three straight batters on just 17 pitches. He capped his night with a 97 mph fastball that was swung at and missed.

Hancock pitches for the Arkansas Travelers, the Double-A affiliate of the Mariners. He was selected for Saturday’s game, which the American League won 6-4 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

Hancock was the No. 6 pick in the first round of the 2020 MLB draft. Before being drafted by the Mariners, Hancock pitched at the University of Georgia from 2018-20.