Ian Hamilton

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Chicago White Sox #29 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: Hamilton racked up 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings in 2018 before earning his first big league callup. He went back to Triple-A for more seasoning in 2019 but found the new MLB ball didn't pair well with his game. Hamilton was struck in the face in the dugout by a line drive with enough force to cause multiple facial fractures and the loss of teeth. He had multiple surgeries to repair the injuries.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: At his best, Hamilton coupled an upper-90s fastball that touched triple-digits with a hard slider in the low 90s that projected as plus. Hamilton has a changeup as well, but it's a distant third pitch compared to his fastball and slider. He had worked in 2018 to stay behind the fastball to improve command of the pitch and in 2019 had shown the same ability to get swings and misses as before the injury. He ran into problems, however, when hitters got the ball in the air.
  
  THE FUTURE: Once recovered, Hamilton will likely return to Triple-A Charlotte to try to rediscover the form that landed him in the big leagues. He has a future as a middle-innings reliever.
• 
  Ranked Chicago White Sox #13 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: Hamilton spent his final college season in the rotation at Washington State, but he missed the late-innings adrenaline and moved back to the bullpen immediately upon turning pro. He made his major league debut on Aug. 31.
  
  Scouting Report: Hamilton’s signature is his high-octane heat. He averaged close to 97 mph in his major league time, and touched triple digits regularly in the minor leagues. The pitch also spins at roughly 2,300 rpm, close to the major league average for four-seam fastballs. He pairs the fastball with a sharp-biting, plus slider in the low 90s that he can use both as a called strike or a chase pitch for a strikeout. He also has a changeup, but it is below-average and a distant third pitch. Hamilton has shown excellent control in the minors, but worked in 2018 to polish his command. He also worked to stay behind the fastball to get the most out of the pitch when he throws it in the upper part of the strike zone.
  
  The Future: Hamilton should be in the mix for a bullpen spot out of spring training, but could also head back to Triple-A Charlotte for more seasoning. He has the ceiling of a late-inning reliever.
• 
  Ranked Chicago White Sox #23 prospect in 2018
  Hamilton relieved at Washington State his first two seasons before moving to the rotation in 2016. He was middling at best as a starter with the Cougars, and his stuff and his results backed up significantly. But the White Sox saw plenty of Hamilton out of the bullpen for the Cape Cod League's Wareham Gatemen in the summer of 2015 and believed in him enough as a reliever to take him with their 11th-round pick. Hamilton has been a reliever only in pro ball and experienced quick success, reaching Double-A in his first full season. Hamilton's fastball hovers in the upper-90s and has touched 99 mph. He's also got a plus slider that works in the low-90s and gets swings-and-misses, as well as changeup that could be average in the future. He uses a high-effort delivery and is aggressive attacking the strike zone. The White Sox have encouraged Hamilton to continue to throw his changeup more often to help hasten its development. Hamilton was roughed up toward the end of 2017 at Double-A Birmingham, and he'll return there to begin 2018.
• 
  Ranked Chicago White Sox #28 prospect in 2017
  Hamilton was Washington State's closer in each of his first two seasons on campus. He showed well in the Cape Cod League as a starter as his junior year approached, then took a weekend rotation spot for the Cougars in 2016. Hamilton struggled as a starter and posted a 4.97 ERA, slipping to the 11th round as a result. The righthander went back to the bullpen in pro ball, serving as the closer at low Class A Kannapolis at the end of 2016. He is a bit undersized and has an effortful delivery, with a deep stab in the back of his arm action and an across-body finish. Hamilton's stuff, however, could allow him to excel in a high-leverage relief role and move through the system quickly. His fastball works in the mid-90s out of the bullpen, and his slider is among the best secondary pitches in the system. It features hard sweeping action and registers in the upper 80s. Hamilton could make the jump to high Class A Winston-Salem to start 2017.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #221 prospect in 2016 draft
  One of the top pitching performers in the Cape Cod League last summer, Hamilton seemed poised to go out in the first three rounds this spring. He shifted from closer, a role in which he had a 2.09 ERA and 28 saves over the last two seasons, to starting for Washington State's new coaching staff. He struggled in the role in terms of results but gave a rebuilding program a steady presence and chance to win on Fridays. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Hamilton has a 92-94 mph fastball as a starter that touches 96 and throws strikes with it. He'll work downhill more when he uses his lower half more in his delivery. Hamilton's fastball tends to flatten out, and his changeup is too firm. His hard slider has its moments and plays up in the bullpen, but his long arm action makes it hard to command.

• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Hamilton racked up 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings in 2018 before earning his first big league callup. He went back to Triple-A for more seasoning in 2019 but found the new MLB ball didn’t pair well with his game. Hamilton was struck in the face in the dugout by a line drive with enough force to cause multiple facial fractures and the loss of teeth. He had multiple surgeries to repair the injuries.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: At his best, Hamilton coupled an upper-90s fastball that touched triple-digits with a hard slider in the low 90s that projected as plus. Hamilton has a changeup as well, but it’s a distant third pitch compared to his fastball and slider. He had worked in 2018 to stay behind the fastball to improve command of the pitch and in 2019 had shown the same ability to get swings and misses as before the injury. He ran into problems, however, when hitters got the ball in the air.
  
  THE FUTURE: Once recovered, Hamilton will likely return to Triple-A Charlotte to try to rediscover the form that landed him in the big leagues. He has a future as a middle-innings reliever.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Hamilton racked up 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings in 2018 before earning his first big league callup. He went back to Triple-A for more seasoning in 2019 but found the new MLB ball didn't pair well with his game. Hamilton was struck in the face in the dugout by a line drive with enough force to cause multiple facial fractures and the loss of teeth. He had multiple surgeries to repair the injuries.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: At his best, Hamilton coupled an upper-90s fastball that touched triple-digits with a hard slider in the low 90s that projected as plus. Hamilton has a changeup as well, but it's a distant third pitch compared to his fastball and slider. He had worked in 2018 to stay behind the fastball to improve command of the pitch and in 2019 had shown the same ability to get swings and misses as before the injury. He ran into problems, however, when hitters got the ball in the air.
  
  THE FUTURE: Once recovered, Hamilton will likely return to Triple-A Charlotte to try to rediscover the form that landed him in the big leagues. He has a future as a middle-innings reliever.