Cleveland Sports Forum

NO. 10 teenager No. 6
ETHAN HANKINS RHP


Born: May 23, 2000
Bats: R Throws: R
Ht.: 6'6" Wt.: 200

TRACK RECORD: Following Hankins’ performance on the showcase circuit during the summer and a stellar showing for USA Baseball in the 18U World Cup, Hankins was considered the best prep player in the 2018 draft class. But he suffered a shoulder injury in February and while he returned to the mound before the draft, his stuff was not as crisp as it had been. That led Hankins to slide to the last pick of the first round.

SCOUTING REPORT: Hankins has a long, lean frame and uncommon athleticism for a pitcher of his size. At his best, he runs his fastball up to 97 mph and typically sits in the mid-90s with plus life. He has the makings of quality secondary pitches, but they’ll need to become more consistent offerings. His slider and changeup both have the ability to be above-average, and he also throws a bigger curveball, though it lags behind his other pitches. Hankins controls his arsenal well, but it will be important for him to maintain his delivery as he grows into his large frame.

THE FUTURE: The Indians are confident Hankins’ shoulder issues are behind him. If he’s able to get back to the level he showed in 2017, he has high-end upside. He’ll likely start 2019 with short-season Mahoning Valley.

Q and A begins at the top

DH (PA): I think every listing of McKenzie, since the day he was drafted, said 6'5" and about 165. Is that still accurate? Seems like something they could fix. I mean, is he eating 12k calories? Anyway, do you think he can eventually carry enough innings to be a front of the rotation type? If not, is he a RP?

Teddy Cahill: Let's start with the system's top prospect, Triston McKenzie. Yes, that height/weight is still accurate. I specifically double checked it this year because he's now the No. 1 prospect. I can also tell you that he has worked really hard at putting weight on. It's just not that easy for some people (especially when you're as young as he still is: 21) and scouts going all the way back to when he was in high school had concerns about how much weight his frame would ever carry. I think McKenzie has done everything he can to prove that his weight is not an issue going forward. He threw 143 innings a year ago. His injury this year was not related to his weight. I think he'll be fine. Now, will he ever throw 250 innings a year in the big leagues? Probably not. But Chris Sale has thrown 200+ innings four times in the big leagues at 6-foot-6, 180 pounds. It's a concern, but it's not so great of a concern that he ends up in the bullpen because of it.

and move on to No. 2:

Warren (New London): As a third baseman, Nolan Jones improved from terrible to not very good in 2018. The bat looks like it could be ready in another year or two. Will he be able to play a major league third base by then?

Teddy Cahill: Maybe? I know that's not much of an answer, but there are a lot of factors at play here. One is where is Jose Ramirez playing then? If he's at third base - either because second is no longer an option for him or that the Indians have someone established there - then, no, Nolan Jones is not going to be good enough defensively to unseat Ramirez. If Jones can be about average at third base, I think that's probably good enough. But there's still development needed to get there. The Indians are going to keep working with him there but if it ends up that he needs to go to an outfield corner, I don't think it's a problem. Jones' bat will profile just fine out there.

And to my first question:

Elliot (Youngstown OH): I'm looking for some quick additions to the Indians bullpen: who are 2019 candidates: Nick Sandlin? James Karinchak? Henry Martinez? Rob Kaminsky?

Teddy Cahill: Yes to all of them, plus Aaron Civale and Dalbert Siri. I could see Kirk McCarty in that mix as well. Honestly, there was a time this summer that I thought Nick Sandlin was going to be a September call up. I think he's got a good shot at being the first player from the 2018 draft to reach the big leagues

Power arms:

Eric (Detroit, MI): Who are you higher on between rhp's Eli Morgan and Carlos Vargas and why? Thanks!

Teddy Cahill: Carlos Vargas because he throws gas. The ceiling is just much higher for a guy that runs his fastball up to 99 as an 18-year-old. I like Eli Morgan but he's fighting a very tough profile as a short righthander whose primary pitch is his changeup.

well even this is not all bad news:

Zac (NYC): Living walking distance from Quentin Holmes' high school I've been hoping he might develop into a true major leaguer. So far, not so good. What would Holmes have to do to elevate himself into a top prospect?

Teddy Cahill: Stay healthy. It's not like Holmes had a bad year, he had a lost year. We'll see where he is when he gets back to full strength in 2019.

speaking of top picks who haven't quite excelled:

Elliot (Youngstown OH): Obviously batting .170 doesn't enhance a prospect, but Will Benson did walk a ton, hit a lot of homers and still can play a good RF. Is there much reason to hope he'll progress?

Teddy Cahill: Several Will Benson questions today. Let's try and answer them here. Will Benson had a weird year. There's no way around that. He still has so much athleticism, he still has so much power and he'll still be just 20 years old on Opening Day 2019. Some of the underlying numbers (like exit velo, BABIP, etc.) were encouraging. But, at the same time, at some point you've got to hit. It's not time to give up on him, that's for sure. But it's also fair to be concerned about him reaching his ceiling. And that's why you don't see him in the top 10.

Mike (Tampa, FL): What did you think of the acquisition of Oscar Mercado? Will we see him in the 11-15 range, and which OF position suits him best?

Teddy Cahill: I laid out my thoughts about the Oscar Mercado trade at the time here: https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... -cardinals. I don't think my overall thoughts on the deal have changed in the last few months. I think the Indians added a solid option for next year's outfield. Mercado could have been in the top 10, he was definitely in the mix, so you'll see him in the 11-15 range in the handbook. He's got plus speed and can be an above-average defender in center field. It's all about how much he hits.


So that gives us two reasonably equivalent talents in Alien and Mercado. And 2 chances for one of them to be a success]

Clayton (Galveston): Why is it that with both Zimmer and Naquin coming up, the Indians STILL need help in the OF? Did Cleveland drop the ball on developing them?

Teddy Cahill: Tyler Naquin finished third in ROY voting. I don't think it's a development issue there. The problem with both of them has been health - and in Naquin's case, hitting lefthanded pitching. But even if Naquin and Zimmer had perfectly transitioned to the big leagues and stayed healthy, the Indians would still have an outfield hole because Brantly and Chisenhall are both free agents. It's a fluid situation out there. I think the Indians have some intriguing pieces, but when you're competing for pennants, the team would like a little more certainty. I think that's what Cleveland is looking for out there right now.

More on the OF:

Chris (Illinois): Any outfielders in the system have a realistic shot of contributing in 2019, or will the Tribe be forced to look to free agents/trade and end up blocking someone?

Teddy Cahill: Continuing with the outfield, I think the Indians could totally reasonably open the season with an outfield of Allen, Mercado, Naquin and Zimmer. I don't think it happens, but I don't think that would be a disaster (assuming they're all healthy). I think they do something to get a veteran out there, whether that means resigning Brantley or bringing in someone like Melky or both. But, again, there are pieces. There just isn't a lot of certainty with those pieces.

on the mound:

Brian (Georgia): General question: After seeing Hankins pitch his second start in front of a slew of scouts, his FB was mid 90's and he looked relatively polished for a HS arm. Throwing that out there, why does he not start out at Lake County? Cold weather? Keeping him on a low IP?

Teddy Cahill: The Indians tend to be more conservative with high school players. In recent years, there have been very few guys to go straight to Lake County in their first full professional season. Clint Frazier did it, but he went a month late due to a hamstring issue. Bobby Bradley did it - after winning the AZL Triple Crown. Connor Capel did it - but he was old for his draft class. The more conservative approach of extended, then Mahoning Valley with a late-season promotion to Lake County if they earn it does a few things. It limits their workload, avoids the worst of the cold weather in NEO and allows them to build confidence in the NYPL. Could Hankins handle the Midwest League next April? Probably. But I just don't think the Indians will push it on him (or Bo Naylor).

to the infield:

Chief Wahoo (Toronto): Is the Tyler Freeman hype train real or will it be short lived? Can his bat carry him to an above average regular, or will be be more of a utility type?

Teddy Cahill: Well, I mean, I just ranked him third. So, clearly I'm on the hype train. His whole deal is that he hits. So, yes, I think he hits enough to be an everyday player. And at this point, I think he hits enough that it doesn't matter whether he plays second base or shortstop.

Aaron (Kenosha): Yu Chang seems to be on a pretty nice run in the AFL with a .344/.400/.531 slash and he recently roped a 110 mph triple in the stars game. Did he receive any consideration for this list and what does his future look like?

Teddy Cahill: Yes, Chang was in the mix for the top 10 and in no way would he look out of place in it. Ultimately, we went with the upside of guys like Rocchio and Hankins instead of the proximity of Chang and Mercado. Chang is in a tough spot. He can probably play shortstop, but he won't ever do it in Cleveland. He's playing a lot of third base this fall and that puts more pressure on his bat. He's got some juice in there, but he's also a career .250 hitter in the minors. It's a bit of a tough profile and with the reality of how crowded the infield is in Cleveland, he's just in a tough spot.

Ryan (Detroit): Valera or Rocchio: Who has the higher ceiling? Who has the higher floor?

Teddy Cahill: I'll take Valera for both. His hit tool is for real. I know Rocchio had a really good debut but they're both teenagers that have never played above the complex league. It's not like either one has a particularly high floor at this point.

Karl of Delaware (Georgetown, Delaware): So will Bo Naylor, as he matures and gains weight and strength, ever catch up to his brother Josh in the power department?

Teddy Cahill: I don't think so. They're just not the same kind of player. Josh Naylor's whole deal going back to high school has been that he has big-time power. Bo is hit over power. He has impressive raw power, but he's not that kind of a slugger. It's hit over power for Bo, and my guess is it always will be.

oops I called our guy Josh. No, he's Bo