(Gary, IN) The RailCats announced earlier today that they have signed former first-round pick, Ethan Hankins to the roster. Hankins is a right-handed starting pitcher from Atlanta, Georgia that was selected 35th overall by the Cleveland Guardians organization in 2018. 

Hankins pitched in the Under Armour All-American Baseball game after showing out in High School. He was signed on to play college baseball at SEC powerhouse, Vanderbilt University. But he signed on with Cleveland instead and was a top 10 prospect in their system, topping out at 97 with his fastball and showcased a good mix of a changeup and slider.  

Hankins appeared in 33 games in the Minor Leagues, his ERA was a 3.47 over 111.2 IP where he struck out 131 batters and walked just 58. His strikeout per nine innings is a 10.6, even striking out three batters in his only appearance this season in Double-A Akron. 

“I’m excited to welcome Ethan to the team as we continue to work to establish ourselves as a destination for players of his caliber.” RailCats Manager Lamarr Rogers said. “He’s a big bodied, firm throwing former 1st Rounder who is looking to put past injuries behind him and begin anew. Now healthy, we’re excited to be a part of his new beginning and look forward to seeing him take the mound for our RailCats.” 

The RailCats are back in action tonight against the Chicago Dogs with the first pitch coming at 6:30. Gary heads into the game at 25-46 and the game will be streamed live on AABaseball.TV, Mixlr, and WE.FM 95.9.