Cleveland Indians: Top 30 Prospects Countdown, 6-10

No. 10 Ethan Hankins

A 6-foot-6 right-handed pitcher, Ethan Hankins is a name that a good portion of Indians’ fans are probably already familiar with. Being the first round pick by the Tribe during the 2018 MLB Draft, Hankins already had the attention of the league after being a member of the USA U18 team during 2017, including a 14 strikeout performance.

In total, Hankins has pitched in 16 games, starting 15, since joining the Indians’ organization, spanning across Rookie ball, Low-A Mahoning Valley and Single-A Lake County. He’s been able to maintain a 2.71 ERA while averaging 11 strikeouts per nine innings. Those two statistics are promising, especially considering he’s still only 20-years old, turning 21 in May.

As it currently stands, the Cleveland Indians have four of the five rotation spots locked in for the future with Shane Bieber, Zach Plesac, Aaron Civale and Triston McKenzie. Depending on how quickly he can move up through the minors, Hankins has a strong shot at becoming the fifth member of that rotation. It might not happen this season, and if it does it would be the second half, but the opportunity is very clearly there. It’ll just all depend on where he begins the 2021 season and if he can continue his sample of work that we saw in 2018 and 2019.