Ethan Hankins Explained

Ethan Gordon Hankins (born May 23, 2000) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Gary SouthShore RailCats of the American Association of Professional Baseball. He was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 1st round of the 2018 MLB draft.

Amateur career

Hankins attended Forsyth Central High School in Cumming, Georgia. As a junior in 2017, he had a 0.90 earned run average (ERA) with 77 strikeouts in innings pitched and was named the Forsyth County News Pitcher of the Year.^[1] After the season, he played in the Under Armour All-America Baseball Game and played for the USA Baseball 18U National Team.^{[2] [3]}

Professional career

Cleveland Indians / Guardians

Hankins committed to Vanderbilt University to play college baseball.^[4] He was drafted 35th overall by the Cleveland Indians in the 2018 Major League Baseball draft.^[5] After the draft, Hankins signed to play baseball at Chipola College.^[6] However, he eventually signed with Cleveland rather than attend college.^[7]

Hankins made his professional debut with the rookie–level Arizona League Indians, pitching three innings.^[8] He began 2019 with the Low–A Mahoning Valley Scrappers before being promoted to the Single–A Lake County Captains in August.^[9] Over 14 games (13 starts) between the two clubs, he pitched to a 0–3 record with a 2.55 ERA, striking out 71 over sixty innings.^[10]

Hankins did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.^[11] He missed all of the 2021 and 2022 seasons (aside from one rehab appearance for the Arizona Complex League Guardians in 2022) after undergoing Tommy John surgery.^[12] Hankins returned in 2023 with the High–A Lake County Captains, compiling a 1–7 record and 4.70 ERA with 50 strikeouts across 15 starts.^[13]

Hankins was released by the Guardians organization on July 20, 2024, having pitched in only one game in the 2024 season for the Double-A Akron RubberDucks due to time spent on the injured list. Hankins' time in the Guardians' organization concluded with him having made only 32 appearances in his seven-year professional career.^[14]

Gary SouthShore RailCats

On August 2, 2024, Hankins signed with the Gary SouthShore RailCats of the American Association of Professional Baseball.^[15]

Notes and References

1. Web site: BASEBALL PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Ethan Hankins, Forsyth Central. www.forsythnews.com.
2. Web site: Forsyth Pitcher Chosen for All-America Game. 30 June 2017.
3. Web site: Baseball: Forsyth Central's Ethan Hankins selected to 18U national team. www.forsythnews.com.
4. Web site: Motivation Monday: Elite pitcher Ethan Hankins dishes on what fuels his fire. 17 July 2017.
5. Web site: Cleveland Indians draft 2018: Closer look at the top 4 picks . 5 June 2018 .
6. Web site: Indians' Ethan Hankins: Playing hardball in negotiations. 26 June 2018 .
7. Web site: Indians sign top picks Noah Naylor, Ethan Hankins.
8. Web site: Ethan Hankins Stats, Highlights, Bio - MiLB.com Stats - The Official Site of Minor League Baseball. MiLB.com. September 11, 2018.
9. Web site: Top draftees, prospects begin short-season play. MLB.com.
10. Web site: No. 23 Lenny Torres, RHP: Cleveland Indians top prospects right now . 13 April 2020 .
11. Web site: 2020 Minor League Baseball season cancelled. September 18, 2024. mlb.com. en.
12. Web site: Indians' Ethan Hankins: Recovering from Tommy John surgery. 2 June 2021 .
13. Web site: Ethan Hankins - Stats - Pitching. September 18, 2024. fangraphs.com. en.
14. Web site: Transactions .
15. Web site: 2024 Transactions. August 3, 2024. aabaseball.com. en.