The Pirates Prospects 2017 Prospect Guide is now available for pre-sales. The book will be released the week before Spring Training, and we are currently in the process of making the final changes with editing and formatting.
The book features prospect reports on everyone in the system, the 2017 top 50 prospects, and the most comprehensive coverage of the Pirates’ farm system that you can find. Subscribers to the site get discounted books, with Top Prospect subscribers getting $10 off, and Annual subscribers getting $5 off. The eBook will be released when the book is released, and will also come with discounts. Details on the promotions can be found on the products page, and you can subscribe to the site or upgrade your current plan on the subscriptions page.
While the top 50 prospects are exclusive to the book, we will be releasing the top 20 prospects over the next few weeks as a countdown to the start of Spring Training, and to give a preview of the release of the book. We will be wrapping up on Monday, February 13th. The reports will only be available to site subscribers, including those with a monthly plan. You can subscribe here, and if you like these reports, be sure to purchase your copy of the book on the products page of the site to get much more analysis on every player in the system.
We start the countdown with the number 20 prospect, Alen Hanson.
20. Alen Hanson, 2B
Hanson had a breakout season in West Virginia in 2012, propelling him to becoming one of the top prospects in the system. Since that point, he has seen a steady decline in value. He showed the skills to be able to stick at shortstop, but his consistency was an issue, and he constantly made errors on routine plays. His hitting also hasn’t been consistent, with stretches of potential, followed by stretches where he struggles.
Since moving to second base, Hanson has shown better defense. However, the offense has gotten more inconsistent the closer he’s moved to the majors. A big reason for this seems to be that he’s pressing to try and hit his way to the majors. This was apparent in 2016 when he got called up for a series, and was swinging for the fences in every at-bat after being sent back to Triple-A.
The Pirates called Hanson up at the end of the year, but didn’t give him much playing time, despite being out of the race. He has fallen behind Adam Frazier on the depth charts, and that was apparent with their playing time in 2016. Hanson started getting work at third base and in left field in order to increase versatility, which he will need in 2017. He is out of options, and will have the inside track for the final bench spot, but will need versatility to get in the lineup and show he belongs, assuming they give him a shot this time around.
Hanson has gone from a guy who was seen as a potential All-Star shortstop after the 2012 season to a guy who now projects as a bench player. He could still make an impact as a super utility player, much like Frazier did in 2016. He’s also young enough that he could emerge as a starter at second base if he can fix his offensive struggles. A lot of that would involve getting out of his own head and playing his game, rather than trying to crush the ball. If he gains enough offensive consistency, then he has the speed and defense to be at most an average starting second baseman in the majors.
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