White Sox promote righty Hansen to Double-A

Alec Hansen has heard the hardest jump to make in the Minor Leagues is from Class A Advanced to Double-A. He's about to find out for himself.
The White Sox promoted their No. 8 prospect to Double-A Birmingham after he amassed a Minor League-leading 174 strikeouts in 24 starts between Class A Kannapolis and Class A Advanced Winston-Salem. Ranked No. 100 overall by MLB.com, Hansen confirmed he will make his Southern League debut Monday night against Tennessee.

"I'm looking forward to the challenge ... to seeing what the differences are," the Loveland, Colorado native said. "Get a feel for myself and to be able to have a feel for what it's like going into the offseason so I can prepare for next year."
The 22-year-old follows a recent string of White Sox pitching prospects to move up to the next level. Michael Kopech, Chicago's third-ranked prospect, made his debut with Triple-A Charlotte on Monday, yielding two runs en route to his first International League victory. No. 6 Lucas Giolito was called up to the big leagues for his Chicago debut on Tuesday.

After being selected in the second round in 2016 out of Oklahoma, Hansen bounced from the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League to the Rookie-level Pioneer League before making his final two starts of the season in the Class A South Atlantic League.

He compiled a 2-1 record with a 1.32 ERA and 81 strikeouts over 54 2/3 innings while holding opposing batters to a .133 average in his first professional season.
"It's kind of the same thing that happened last year," Hansen said. "I've been pitching well for the most part."
The right-hander began 2017 with Kannapolis, making 13 starts before earning the bump to Winston-Salem on June 22. With the Intimidators, Hansen went 7-3 with a 2.48 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 72 2/3 innings. After the promotion, Hansen added 82 punchouts in 58 1/3 frames while posting a 4-5 record with a 2.93 ERA. 
"Honestly, I feel like I've been pitching pretty well the entire season," Hansen told MiLB.com on Aug. 5. "My fastball is my primary pitch, followed by my change, especially lately. My breaking balls had been shaky earlier in the season, but I've been able to throw some really good ones the last two outings, which has obviously helped."
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Hansen tallied double-digit strikeout totals in six starts this season, highlighted by a career-high 15-whiff performance against Greensboro on May 28. In his last five outings, Hansen has totaled 48 punchouts. He's also issued 10 free passes, five on Monday against Carolina.