The former Georgia Bulldog will get the start in the Seattle Mariners fourth game of the series against the Cleveland Guardians
SEATTLE — For the third-straight season, the Seattle Mariners "No. 6" starting pitcher began the season on the 26-man roster.
Right-handed starting pitcher Emerson Hancock will get the start in game four of the Mariners' four-game series against the Cleveland Guardians at 4:20 p.m. PT on Sunday at T-Mobile Park in Seattle.
Hancock is coming off an eventful 2025 that saw him shift from the starting rotation to the bullpen. He finished the year with a 4.90 ERA and struck out 64 batters in 90 innings pitched across 22 appearances (16 starts).
Despite not knowing what his role would be on the team going forward, Hancock entered this offseason with a clear focus to improve the command of his arsenal, which features a pair of fastballs (two-seam and four-seam), a sweeper, a changeup and a slider.
"What we've seen from (Hancock) all spring has been outstanding, really," Seattle manager Dan Wilson said in a pregame interview Sunday. "The sweeper, the evolution in his slider has really helped him, the uptick in his (velocity). I know he's raring to go today and anxious for this opportunity. It's gonna be a good one today for Emerson."
Hancock's first outing of 2026 will be a tough task. The Guardians have taken two of the first three games against the Mariners and have put up six runs per win in the series.
Seattle's starters in those losses, Logan Gilbert (Game 1) and Bryan Woo (Game 3) both allowed multiple runs.
Hancock will also have to find a way to navigate a lineup that features an early Rookie of the Year candidate in Cleveland outfielder Chase DeLauter. The former James Madison product has four home runs and five RBIs through 14 at-bats in his first three games.
"(Command) is everything," Wilson said. "Especially, when he attacks the zone (with) his good, hard fastballs, he can really make quick work of a lineup. And we saw that in the spring. That's what we're looking for today — that aggressiveness in the zone to get ahead and to get himself into good counts."
Cleveland Guardians designated hitter Chase DeLauter celebrates while after hitting a two-run home run in the 10th inning of a game against the Seattle Mariners on Sunday at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. - Stephen Brashear/Imagn Images.Hancock has made two starts against Cleveland in his career. He has a 2.19 ERA in those outings and has struck five batters in 12.1 innings pitched. He's earned the win in both starts. Both starts were at T-Mobile Park.
The 26-year-old's last outing against the Guardians was his best of the two. He went seven innings, fanned four, walked one and allowed two hits but no runs on June 15, 2025.
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