Nick Hanson Stats & Scouting Report

IP	66.0
ERA	5.46
WHIP	1.742
BB/9	6.7
SO/9	7.8

Full name Nicholas Hanson
Born 06/10/1998 in Burnsville, MN
Profile Ht.: 6'6" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Prior Lake Christian
Drafted in the 3rd round (79th overall) by the Cincinnati Reds in 2016 (signed for $925,000).

View Draft Report

Hanson is all about projection. Hanson has blossomed as a senior as his velocity has taken a big step forward from the upper-80s to where he now sits in the low-90s and touches 95 mph. As a 6-foot-6, 220-pounder who won't turn 18 until the second day of the draft, he has the size to get bigger and stronger. He also has shown feel for spinning an 80 mph curveball. But the Kentucky signee has a ways to go to learn to control his weapons. Hanson's control is very erratic; he'll sail fastballs to the backstop on occasion and his curveball will vary from a 58-footer to a strike to one that forces the catcher out of his crouch.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Hanson was already a little behind because he came from a cold weather state in Minnesota, but then he had Tommy John surgery in 2017, costing him another year of development. Still, he has a big arm to go with a spindly, 6-foot-5 frame that can add plenty of bulk as he matures. Hanson had signed to play baseball at Kentucky, but a $925,000 bonus changed his mind and convinced him to try to go up Interstate 71 to Cincinnati. Before surgery, the righthander struggled to keep his mechanics in sync. He would often overthrow and spike his curveball. That curveball nonetheless flashes as a plus pitch when he stays in sync, he just has to show he can do that much more consistently. His fastball sat at 91-95 mph before his injury. If it returns, he has a chance to develop two plus pitches. Still 19, Hanson will likely start 2018 at Rookie-level Billings, and the Reds will keep it slow with him. He's a lottery ticket that if he hits, could move up quickly.
Hanson's future outlook will not come into view for several years because he is a cold-weather high school arm. He appeared destined for Kentucky until his velocity spiked as a senior and the Reds signed the 2016 fifth-rounder for $925,000. With Hanson's massive 6-foot-6 frame and velocity jump, he could develop a fastball that sits in the mid-90s. At this point, though, he struggles to keep his mechanics in sync. Hanson is understandably raw with a loose arm, but he's prone to overthrowing, spiking his curveball in front of the plate or sailing his fastball high out of the zone. His 91-95 mph fastball is excellent and his curveball will show flashes of being an above-average pitch. He has a lot of work to do on developing a changeup. The Reds will take it slow with Hanson, who heads to Rookie-level Billings in 2017.

Draft Prospects

Hanson is all about projection. Hanson has blossomed as a senior as his velocity has taken a big step forward from the upper-80s to where he now sits in the low-90s and touches 95 mph. As a 6-foot-6, 220-pounder who won't turn 18 until the second day of the draft, he has the size to get bigger and stronger. He also has shown feel for spinning an 80 mph curveball. But the Kentucky signee has a ways to go to learn to control his weapons. Hanson's control is very erratic; he'll sail fastballs to the backstop on occasion and his curveball will vary from a 58-footer to a strike to one that forces the catcher out of his crouch.