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Hansen looks to join Chicago White Sox in 2018

Draft day is predictable, in any professional sport.

Teams always seem to be thrilled when enticing picks are still on the board, and that was the case with the Chicago White Sox in June 2016.

Alec Hansen was available in the second round, and the Sox were turning cartwheels after drafting the 6-foot-7 starting pitcher out of the University of Oklahoma.

"Coming in this time last year, he was probably projected to be (No. 1 overall) in the country," White Sox director of amateur scouting Nick Hostetler said after drafting Hansen. "Big-time power fastball, it's 97 to 100 (mph). It's four plus pitches when he's on.

"There's some mechanical things we feel we can fix. The guys in the room, (pitching coach) Don Cooper looked at some video for us, feels there's some small mechanical adjustments that as soon as we make he's going to take off."

Hansen did make some necessary adjustments, and the right-hander was a 2-1 with a 1.32 ERA in 12 combined starts with the Arizona League White Sox, Advanced Rookie Great Falls and low Class A Kannapolis last year.

Not bad at all, but the 22-year-old Hansen really took off this season.

"Honestly, I had no idea what was going to happen to me this year," Hansen said. "If you asked me at the beginning of the season where I expected to end up, I wouldn't have said Double-A. But if you asked me toward after the all-star break and after a couple of starts at Winston-Salem, where I started to pick it up a little bit, then I was kind of hoping I was going to finish at Double-A."

Hansen opened this season back at Kannapolis, but he worked his way up to high A Winston-Salem and ended up at AA Birmingham.

Not only was Hansen a combined 11-8 with a 2.80 ERA at the three levels, he led all minor-league pitchers with 191 strikeouts (in 141⅓ innings).

"That's something I'll remember for the rest of my life, that I led the minor leagues in strikeouts this year, which is pretty cool," Hansen said. "It was in A-ball where guys swing a lot and are pretty aggressive at the plate. But it was nice to see I went up to Double-A and still had quite a few strikeouts.

"That was kind of reassuring that it wasn't just a thing because I was in the lower levels."

After finishing his first full season as a professional this year, Hansen is understandably confident.

"This first full year, it was great that it taught me about my arm and how my arm is going to feel in between every start and how my body is going to feel throughout the season," he said. "I can go into this off-season and work out and get my body the way I want it to going into spring training and be able to maintain that throughout the season next year."

Given his rapid rise in the White Sox's system, you can understand why Hansen has set his sights on being in the major leagues at some point after the all-star break in 2018.

"I definitely feel like I'll be able to start consistently in the major leagues toward the end of next year," he said. "I'll have a lot more confidence and experience that's going to help me. By the end of next year, that experience and confidence in my body will be where it needs to be to be in the major leagues for good."

Scouting report

White Sox vs. Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park

TV: WGN Tuesday; Comcast SportsNet Wednesday and Thursday

Radio: WLS 890-AM

Pitching matchups: The White Sox's Lucas Giolito (2-2) vs. Collin McHugh (2-2) Tuesday; James Shields (4-6) vs. Brad Peacock (11-2) Wednesday; Carson Fulmer (2-1) vs. Dallas Keuchel (13-4) Thursday. All games 7:10 p.m.

At a glance: The White Sox are 4-3 on a road trip that opened at Kansas City and moved on to Detroit. The Astros have won four straight and clinched first place in the AL West on Sunday with a 7-1 victory vs. Seattle. The Sox have scored 10 or more runs four times in their last nine games. Jose Abreu has driven in 97 runs and is on pace to have 100 or more RBI in each of his first four seasons with the White Sox. Giolito is 2-1 with a 1.75 ERA in his last 4 starts. The Sox swept a three-game home series from Houston in early August.

Next: Kansas City Royals at Guaranteed Rate Field, Friday-Sunday

- Scot Gregor

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