Scouting Report

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Scouting grades: Fastball: 40 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 60 | Overall: 45 

A classic pitchability left-hander, Hansen has excelled for three years at Texas despite rarely topping 90 mph with his fastball. He worked just nine innings as a California high school senior in 2019 because of a leg injury and 17 as a Longhorns freshman before the 2020 pandemic shutdown, then saw his stuff dip after a bout with COVID-19 in 2021. Undrafted as a 21-year-old eligible last July, he could go as high as the third round this time around. 

Hansen thrives in large part thanks to his plus 78-82 mph slider, which features plenty of horizontal and vertical action that makes it effective against both left-handers and right-handers, and he also has an effective 72-76 mph curveball with more depth. His breaking stuff helps his fastball play up, as does his ability to locate his heater wherever he wants. He's operating at 88-90 mph with his fastball this spring after dipping to 85-87 a year ago, and scouts wonder if he might have some untapped velocity after seeing him work at 89-92 and touch 94 in the fall of 2020. 

Hansen also mixes in a low-80s changeup with modest fade and sink to keep right-handers off balance. Employing a simple delivery with little effort, he's able to locate his pitches with precision and sometimes will sneak his heater by hitters up in the strike zone. He has a high floor as a back-of-the-rotation starter who might not need much time to reach the Majors. 

Scouting grades: Fastball: 40 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 55 | Overall: 40 

Hansen was Mr. Reliable during his days at Texas, especially when he moved into the rotation as a sophomore and junior. He posted a 3.76 ERA with 120 strikeouts and only 19 walks over 107 2/3 innings as a junior in 2022, despite limited velocity, and that was enough to make him a third-round pick that summer. He signed for exact slot at $629,800. Hansen spent his first full season with Single-A Palm Beach, where he had a 3.12 ERA and 126 K’s in 112 2/3 frames in a rather lax assignment. He did make one late-season appearance for Triple-A Memphis, retiring all three batters he faced. 

The 6-foot-2 southpaw continued to sit in the 88-92 mph window with his four-seam fastball but didn’t shy away from the pitch because he could command it so well. He also showed a sinker around the same velocity. Hansen played off those with his best pitch -- a 78-82 mph sweeper that batters missed both in and out of the zone. His mid-80s changeup got a healthy amount of his chase and helped him limit righties to a .594 OPS (compared to .722 for lefties). An upper-70s curveball was a distant fifth pitch in terms of usage, but it was good for the occasional swing-and-miss too. 

Given his profile, Hansen needs to be able to spot the ball well if he’s going to stay effective, and so far so good on that score. He’s a pitchability lefty through and through who could settle into the back-end of a rotation, but he needs bigger challenges than the FSL to prove himself.  

Scouting grades: Fastball: 40 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 55 | Overall: 40

If "pitchability lefty" was in the dictionary, you might find Hansen’s picture right next to it. The southpaw was an effective hurler in all three of his years at Texas despite limited velocity, and he took a 3.76 ERA, 120 strikeouts and only 19 walks over 107 2/3 innings as a junior into the 2022 Draft. He went to the Cardinals in the third round, becoming the organization’s third straight collegiate southpaw at the top of the Draft, and signed for exact slot at $629,800.

Hansen’s fastball barely reached over 90 mph for much of his time as a Longhorn and was in the 88-92 mph range, occasionally tickling mid-90s, in his final spring in Austin. But his 78-82 mph slider helped drive up his K count, thanks to plus horizontal and vertical action that made it difficult to touch against batters from either side. He also mixed in an 72-76 mph curveball, though he's mostly pocketed it so far at Single-A Palm Beach. His low-80s changeup with decent fade keeps righties honest.

The former Texas ace makes it all work because of his control coming out of a near-effortless delivery. He knows exactly where he wants to put it, and he puts it there with relative ease. That feel for location gives hope that he could be a potential No. 5 starter, even without the velocity, but he needs to see higher levels soon heading into his age-23 season in 2024.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 40 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 60 | Overall: 45 

A classic pitchability left-hander, Hansen excelled for three years at Texas despite rarely topping 90 mph with his fastball. He worked just nine innings as a California high school senior in 2019 because of a leg injury and 17 as a Longhorns freshman before the 2020 pandemic shutdown, then saw his stuff dip after a bout with COVID-19 in 2021. Undrafted as a 21-year-old eligible last July, he went to the Cardinals in the third round this time around.

Hansen thrives in large part thanks to his plus 78-82 mph slider, which features plenty of horizontal and vertical action that makes it effective against both left-handers and right-handers, and he also has an effective 72-76 mph curveball with more depth. His breaking stuff helps his fastball play up, as does his ability to locate his heater wherever he wants. He operated at 88-90 mph with his fastball this spring after dipping to 85-87 a year ago, and scouts wonder if he might have some untapped velocity after seeing him work at 89-92 and touch 94 in the fall of 2020. 

Hansen also mixes in a low-80s changeup with modest fade and sink to keep right-handers off balance. Employing a simple delivery with little effort, he's able to locate his pitches with precision and sometimes will sneak his heater by hitters up in the strike zone. He has a high floor as a back-of-the-rotation starter who might not need much time to reach the Majors.

Video scouting report »

Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 55 | Overall: 50

Hansen is the best pitcher who became eligible for the 2021 Draft because MLB moved it from June to July and he'll turn 21 within 45 days of the event. He's one of the better pitchability left-handers available and could sneak into the supplemental first round, though he also comes with little track record. He pitched just nine innings as a high school senior in 2019 because of a leg injury and worked just 17 frames as a freshman at Texas before the coronavirus pandemic shut down the season. 

After working in the upper 80s in high school, Hansen now parks at 89-92 mph and tops out at 94 with his fastball, which he can locate wherever he wants. His best pitch is a tight slider in the low 80s that grades as plus at its best, surpassing an upper-70s curveball that was his top offering as a prepster. He also shows advanced feel for a solid low-80s changeup. 

Hansen lacks wow stuff but it plays up because of his control and command, and he walked just two batters and didn't allow an earned run in his 17 innings last spring. He's an intense competitor with a loose arm and an easy delivery that he repeats well. He comes with a high floor as a likely back-of-the-rotation starter and offers more upside if he can continue to add strength.

Awards

MiLB.com Organization All-Star

Year	Team
2023

FSL Post-Season All-Star

Year	Team
2023

FSL Pitcher of the Week

Week	Team
08/13/2023

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	04/03/2024	LHP Pete Hansen assigned to Peoria Chiefs.
	03/07/2024	St. Louis Cardinals Prospects activated LHP Pete Hansen.
	02/25/2024	LHP Pete Hansen roster status changed by St. Louis Cardinals.
	02/25/2024	LHP Pete Hansen assigned to St. Louis Cardinals.
	09/22/2023	LHP Pete Hansen assigned to Memphis Redbirds from Palm Beach Cardinals.
	04/05/2023	LHP Pete Hansen assigned to Palm Beach Cardinals from FCL Cardinals.
	03/06/2023	LHP Pete Hansen assigned to FCL Cardinals from Cardinals Organization.
	08/16/2022	LHP Pete Hansen assigned to Cardinals Organization.
	07/23/2022	St. Louis Cardinals signed LHP Pete Hansen.
	06/11/2022	LHP Pete Hansen and assigned to College Workout.
	06/11/2022	College Workout activated LHP Pete Hansen.
	03/01/2022	Texas Longhorns activated LHP Pete Hansen.
	03/01/2022	LHP Pete Hansen assigned to Texas Longhorns.
	02/20/2021	LHP Pete Hansen assigned to Texas Longhorns.
	02/20/2021	LHP Pete Hansen assigned to Texas Longhorns.
	02/25/2020	LHP Pete Hansen assigned to Texas Longhorns.
	06/24/2017	Peter Hansen assigned to USA Red Team.