DEREK HANKINS

7/1/83; '04 10th; Univ. of Memphis
R/R; 6-4, 190

Level
W-L-Sv
G
GS
IP
H
 HR
BB
K
 BB/9 K/9 WHIP OAVG
ERA
2004 NCAA
8-5-0
15
15
92.1
96
 13
25
114
 2.4 11.1 1.31  
4.58
2004 A-
6-4-0
14
14
83.0
72
 9
14
57
 1.5 6.2 1.04 .233
3.04
2005 A
6-6-0
27
27
156.1
176
 17
43
118
 2.5
6.8
1.40
.277
4.49
2006 A+
5-11-0
26
26
142.2
157
 13
36
70
 2.3
4.4
1.35
.284
4.73
2007 AA
0-1-0
1
1
3.2
4
 1
5
2
 12.3
4.9
2.46
.267
12.27
2007 A+
8-6-0
22
22
113.1
129
 13
37
77
 2.9
6.1
1.46
.289
5.24
2008 AA
2-11-0
24
23
119.0
135
14
26
89
2.0
6.7
1.35
.285
4.54
2009 AA
3-4-1
19
9
71.1
70
6
26
66
3.3
8.3
1.35
.252
4.42

The Pirates have always seemed to like Hankins, although he's never posted impressive results. Some of the attraction undoubtedly is the tall, lean build, which the Pirates emphasized heavily in scouting pitchers under the prior regime. He was effective at Williamsport, but had a low K rate. He struggled after being Hickory's 2005 opening day starter, getting hit fairly hard and again posting a low K rate. He spent 2006 in Lynchburg's rotation and again struggled, with his K rate plummeting to an extremely low level for class A. Much of his trouble came from LH batters, who posted an OPS nearly 200 points higher against him in 2006, with far higher BB and HR rates, than RH batters. Hankins throws a good change and curve, which make his upper-80s fastball more effective than it otherwise would be.  As is often the case with tall, lean RHPs, scouts thought when Hankins was drafted that he might add velocity, but as usual that hasn't happened. Returning to Lynchburg, he had largely the same year in 2007, with slightly higher HR and K rates. This time RH batters hit him a little better than LH. He also got bombed in one fill-in start for Altoona.

With the team's new management emphasizing the need to promote their own prospects more often and rely less on minor league free agents to boost the W/L records, Hankins got a spot in the Altoona rotation to start 2008. He pitched very well in April, missed much of May with an injury, then pitched well again in June. He then struggled through the last two months, posting a 5.37 ERA the rest of the way. His K rate improved a lot and his K/BB ratio was good, but he got hit hard. He had a reverse platoon split this time. He's a flyball pitcher and had a little trouble with gopher balls. Hankins was eligible for the Rule 5 draft but was not selected. He opened 2009 in the Altoona bullpen, but eventually got some starts due to injuries and promotions.  He had pretty much the same season as 2008, only with fewer hits and more walks, and a higher K rate.  He was more effective in relief, mainly because he didn't allow any longballs.  He had no platoon split at all and remained a flyball pitcher.  He figures to return to the Altoona bullpen in 2010.

Return to Right-Handed Pitchers