Alec Hansen

Position: RHP
Born: 10/10/1994
Ht: 6’7″ Wt: 235 lb
Acquired: Drafted 2nd round (49th overall) in the 2016 draft out of the University of Oklahoma
Career Stats

FutureSox Prospect Rankings

  • #5 – 2016 Midseason
  • #7 – 2017 Preseason
  • #8 – 2017 Midseason
  • #4 – 2018 Preseason
  • #8 – 2018 Midseason
  • #12 – 2019 Preseason
  • #24 – 2019 Midseason

FutureSox Media

Accolades

  • Pioneer League All-Star, 2016 Postseason
  • South Atlantic League All-Star, 2017 Midseason

Scouting Report

Formerly in consideration for the first overall pick, the White Sox gambled on Alec Hansen’s potential and drafted him 49th overall in the second round of the 2016 MLB Draft. Hansen rewarded the White Sox faith and then some in his pro debut across rookie and Low-A, posting a 1.32 ERA, allowing just 24 hits and 20 walks in 54.1 IP. He also struck out 13.3 batters per nine innings. The reason Hansen fell to the 49th pick was because his average control in 2015 deteriorated to non-existent in 2016. He posted a 7.0 BB/9 rate and was demoted from the Oklahoma rotation to the bullpen.

Some supposedly simple adjustments made by the White Sox seemed to make a big difference. In 2017, Hansen doubled down on his debut and exhibited a tour de force, going from Kannapolis (13 starts) to Winston-Salem (11 starts) to AA Birmingham (2 starts) and showing well at all three levels. He finished the year with a combined 2.80 ERA and 12.2 K/9 rate, while still throwing strikes with some consistency (3.2 BB/9). He led all of Minor League Baseball with 191 strikeouts.

Then, it fell apart and 2018 was a disaster. Hansen was shut down in spring training due to forearm soreness and did not return to game action (with Birmingham) until mid-June. When he did return, he seemed to have lost all semblance of command and was demoted back to Winston-Salem to finish the year. He walked 59 batters and hurled 10 wild pitches in 51 innings.

He appeared to show signs of progress in 2019 with Winston-Salem as a reliever. He struck out 21 while allowing just one hit in 12 2/3 innings, but he did walk seven. A return to Birmingham did not go well. He struck out 45 and walked 37 in 39 2/3 innings with a 5.45 ERA mostly as a reliever.

It is awfully tough to know what to make of the extreme ups and downs Hansen throws a 70-grade (20-80 scale) fastball that sits 94-97 and can hit 99 with running life. His repertoire is built around his plus-plus fastball. He throws it from a downhill plane and has shown the ability to command it fairly well at times, but obviously it can all fall apart pretty quick. Hansen’s second best offering is a 84-88 mph slider. A 55-grade curveball and a lightly used changeup round out Hansen’s arsenal. Hansen’s delivery has been very inconsistent, at times looking cleaner but at other times quite problematic. He also struggles quite a bit with the running game, having a slow delivery time to the plate.

Major League Outlook: Had the potential of a No. 2/3 starter. Who knows at this point?
ETA: 2022