- Full name Ryan Hannaman
- Born
- Profile Throws: L
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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The Sidney Ponson trade couldn't have worked out any better for the Orioles. For two months of Ponson, the Giants sent righthander Kurt Ainsworth and lefties Hannaman and Damian Moss to Baltimore last July. Baltimore nontendered Moss, but Ainsworth, Hannaman and Ponson (who returned as a free agent in January) all could play major roles on the big league staff. San Francisco first scouted Hannaman as a position player but moved him to the mound after he signed. His lack of pitching experience and nagging injuries have held him back a bit--he hasn't made it past high Class A--and he struggled with biceps tendinitis last year. But he has a potentially special arm, throwing his fastball in the mid-90s with a lot of life. His slider is a little slurvy at times and needs tightening, and his changeup also needs work. But command is his biggest issue. Indicative of the extremes Hannaman offers, in one of his final starts of the season he walked the bases loaded and then struck out the side. Some of his problems are mechanical, as he has a bit of a long arm action and needs to find a consistent delivery. If the Orioles can polish his power arm, he could be dominant. If not, he likely would head to the bullpen. He'll open 2004 in Double-A with a good spring. -
The cream of the Giants system is the trio of polished righthanders at the top of the prospect list, but they also have collected an impressive group of power lefties, led by Francisco Liriano, Hannaman and Erick Threets. As with Liriano, San Francisco first saw Hannaman as a position player and immediately made him a full-time pitcher. Hannaman's lack of a pitching background was evident when he signed, and he's still raw, but one Giants official called him the most improved player in the system last year. As he got a better feel for his mechanics, he finished 2002 with 68 strikeouts in his last 49 innings. Batters can't get comfortable against his lively mid-90s fastball and tight slider. Hannaman doesn't have a consistent delivery, which causes his slider to flatten and his location to suffer. He's going to need time to come up with a changeup. He also requires plenty of work on the nuances of pitching, such as holding runners and fielding his position. If Hannaman can't smooth out his rough edges, he still could project as a nasty southpaw closer. He'll pitch this year in high Class A. -
The Giants' collection of power lefthanders should be the envy of most organizations. In addition to Erick Threets, Hannaman and No. 14 prospect Francisco Liriano have electric fastballs that are well above average for southpaws. Hannaman was as raw as they come out of high school. Tales of his inexperience include not knowing which foot to put on the rubber while pitching from the stretch. The Giants have brought him along slowly, teaching him the nuances of the game in small doses. The results are starting to show. Hannaman alternately dazzled and digressed in instructional league, but when he was on he threw a fastball in the high 90s with an easy arm action. He also showed flashes of a slider with tight rotation and a good bite, which allows him to pitch inside to righthanders. Inconsistent mechanics and command, plus his own inexperience, remain Hannaman's biggest obstacles to moving faster through the system. He shined in his late callup to the short-season Northwest League and is ticketed for a full year at low Class A Hagerstown in 2001. The Giants are willing to be patient.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Hitters were more than a little hesitant to face Hannaman. He buckled knees while throwing his hard, tight slider with a low three-quarters delivery. His fastball sat in the 92-93 mph range, and all of his pitches showed the natural movement that tends to separate the premier lefties from the common ones. Hannaman improved as the season progressed. His mechanics became more consistent and he showed a better feel for setting up hitters. In his last eight starts, Hannaman fanned 68 batters in 49 innings. "He could be real nasty when everything was working for him," Manto said. "He has pretty good command for a lefthander at his age. He has a high ceiling." -
Hannaman was second in the league in ERA and strikeouts, a sharp contrast from his 2000 professional debut when he went 0-1, 21.60 and walked 11 in three Arizona League innings. "His command was all over the place last year and in extended spring training," Comstock said. "He made tremendous strides this summer. He's got a very easy arm action and found a niche that worked. He also learned to throw a slider with excellent bite." Hannaman's fastball, the consensus best in the league, was clocked as high as 96 mph, fastest in the league. "He's a battler. He comes right at you," Hairston said. "He throws a lot of first-pitch strikes."
