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Alen Hanson Named Among Top Shortstop Prospects

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On Monday, MLB.com began releasing their list of top ten prospects at each position. The Pittsburgh Pirates didn’t have any representatives among left-handed pitchers, but Alen Hanson came in at #8 on their top ten shortstops list.

Alen Hanson ranked eighth overall among shortstop prospects
Alen Hanson ranked eighth overall among shortstop prospects

In the rankings, they also break down each player on the 20-80 scouting system in five categories. Hanson was just below average with his arm, which is a fair ranking, but them seem to be a little low on his power, which was rated a 40. He showed good pop with West Virginia in 2012 and as you will see below, he had a decent amount of extra base hits while being very young for the level he played at this past year. Hanson had ratings of 55 for hitting, 60 for speed and 55 for fielding, which are all pretty close to the general consensus.

In 2013, Hanson split the season between Bradenton and Altoona, where he hit for a combined  .274/.329/.427 slash line in 127 games. He had 13 triples and 30 stolen bases, to go along with eight homers and 27 doubles. Hanson continued his season in the Arizona Fall League, where he was named to the Fall Stars(all-star) game. While in Arizona, he hit .253 with a .623 OPS and six stolen bases. His season didn’t stop there though. Hanson went on to the Dominican Summer League and got into six more games, including two starts at second base.

One very interesting note about Hanson and it just goes to show you how young he is compared to the levels he has played in his career. In 559 plate appearances this past regular season, Hanson did not face one pitcher that was younger than him the entire year. Last year, when he broke out with West Virginia, he faced a younger pitcher just 19 times all year. Basically, he is playing well while advancing quicker than most players his age.

Tomorrow’s list could have a couple Pirates on it. They will announce the top ten right-handed pitchers and Jameson Taillon and Tyler Glasnow stand good chances to be included on that list. Taillon seems very likely, while Glasnow might sneak on at the end if they recognize his high ceiling potential.

John Dreker
John Dreker
John started working at Pirates Prospects in 2009, but his connection to the Pittsburgh Pirates started exactly 100 years earlier when Dots Miller debuted for the 1909 World Series champions. John was born in Kearny, NJ, two blocks from the house where Dots Miller grew up. From that hometown hero connection came a love of Pirates history, as well as the sport of baseball. When he didn't make it as a lefty pitcher with an 80+ MPH fastball and a slider that needed work, John turned to covering the game, eventually focusing in on the prospects side, where his interest was pushed by the big league team being below .500 for so long. John has covered the minors in some form since the 2002 season, and leads the draft and international coverage on Pirates Prospects. He writes daily on Pittsburgh Baseball History, when he's not covering the entire system daily throughout the entire year on Pirates Prospects.

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