Pitcher Ben Hansen, BYU's 1st Red Sox draft pick, continues to make a difference where he served his mission in the Dominican Republic
Ben Hansen’s journey has been anything but ordinary.
The former BYU pitching standout, now a Boston Red Sox prospect, took an unconventional path — one that led him away from baseball for two years on a mission in Utah and the Dominican Republic before returning to chase his lifelong dream.
With faith as his anchor and an unrelenting drive to succeed, Hansen is proving that the road less traveled can still lead to the Major Leagues.
Hansen was one of the top pitchers coming out of high school in the state of California. He received numerous scholarships to prestigious baseball schools all over the country. He decided that he was going to follow his brother and attend Vanderbilt University. Being able to play baseball with his brother Brett was the biggest driving force in making that decision.
A mission beyond baseball
However, going to Vanderbilt would not be the first move out of high school for Hansen. Driven by his faith and his desire to serve others, Hansen decided that he would serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He received his call to serve in the Dominican Republic but with a pandemic raging across the globe, Hansen was temporarily reassigned to serve in the Salt Lake City West Mission.
Once the COVID-19 pandemic started to be more contained, Hansen was able to finally go and serve the remainder of his mission in the Dominican Republic.
Serving a mission taught Hansen many life lessons that typically would take others years and years to learn. He matured and was able to realize the person he wanted to become.
“My mission was the best decision I've ever made,” said Hansen. “I came back from the mission with an unbelievable amount of discipline and an unbelievable drive to succeed in whatever I'm doing in life. And I think there's something about being able to put the Lord's needs first, being able to put, you know, somebody else's needs before your own, that changes your perspective on life and how you want to live your life. And that's something that hasn't changed for me since I came home from my mission."
Finding the right fit
Once he returned home from his mission, things had changed for Hansen. His brother, Brett, had transferred from Vanderbilt to TCU.
“The excitement of playing at Vanderbilt was taken away,” said Hansen.
Not being able to play with his brother anymore and after being far from home for two years, Hansen felt like he needed to be closer to his family in California. He decommitted from Vanderbilt and began searching for the right school.
As he weighed his options, Hansen’s visit to BYU would change everything. Coach Pratt and the rest of his staff immediately made a good impression on Hansen and made him feel like he could accomplish his goals.
“I visited BYU, and it just felt right,” said Hansen. “It felt like the place that I needed to be at. It felt like a place where the coaches would put me first, help me succeed. Something I loved when I went there was coach Pratt and coach Abe’s emphasis on getting guys to play professional baseball.”
Hansen said that the coaching staff knew he wanted to continue to play baseball after college and they assured him that they would do everything they possibly could in order for him to reach his goals and accomplish his dream to play in the Major Leagues.
Hansen played two years in Provo, pitching for a team that was making the jump from the WCC to the Big 12. He recorded 95 strikeoutes in his two seasons as a Cougar and he led the team in wins during the 2024 season with five.
Hansen was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 20th round of the MLB draft. He became the first BYU player ever drafted by the Red Sox.
Hansen credits much of his success while at BYU to his pitching coach, Abe Alvarez, who also was a draft pick of the Red Sox back in 2003.
“His coaching style is very professional in how it's done,” said Hansen. “It reminds me a lot of what the coaching style is down here (in rookie ball). He wasn't always breathing down your neck saying, hey, you got to do this. You got to do that. It was very much like, hey, here are my thoughts. Now, you take the reins of your own career and you run with it, and that is something that I'm very grateful to coach Abe for.”
Hansen could have opted to return to BYU and not sign with the Red Sox but he knew opportunities like this do not come around often.
Dream come true
“It's been a dream of mine ever since I was a kid,” said Hansen. “And the way I see it is, if you have the opportunity to do it, you got to go for it. Leave everything out there that you possibly can and that way, you'll be able to look back and have absolutely zero regrets.”
Hansen was able to participate in rookie ball this past Fall in Florida and even though he only pitched three innings, he made his impact felt by recording four strikeouts with no hits and walks given up. Right now he is training in Florida and participating in spring training.
“You lift a lot of weights, you eat a ton of food, and you sleep as much as you possibly can to try to recover as well as you possibly can,” Hansen said. “During the offseason, you work as hard as you possibly can, and then you let the cards fall where they may, because baseball is one of those games that is so hard to control.”
Baseball can be an unforgiving game. One day, you’re untouchable on the mound and seeing every pitch perfectly at the plate; the next, your curveball won’t break, and your swing feels off. In those moments of uncertainty, Hansen turns to the lessons he learned on his mission, relying on his faith to find peace and clarity through the ups and downs of the sport.
“Putting 100% trust and faith in the Lord is what has become my anchor, Hansen said. “I have complete trust in the Lord. And when I have complete trust in the Lord, whatever happens is what is supposed to happen, and that is what is going to be best for me in the long run. It takes a lot of the pressure out of those different situations that I feel like I can be put in, as long as I'm doing what's right and trying to be a better disciple of Jesus Christ.”
More than a game
For Hansen, being a true disciple of Jesus Christ is not just about faith — it’s about making a tangible difference in the lives of others. While serving in the Dominican Republic, he witnessed the passion the people had for baseball. He played with the local children, but one stark reality stood out: they lacked the basic equipment to play the sport they loved. This experience ignited a desire in Hansen to use his platform to help.
Hansen decided soon after he was drafted last July that he was going to use his platform to make an impact to help those less fortunate. He started the nonprofit, Equip2Play DR. Their mission statement found on their website states that, “Equip2Play DR aims to provide quality baseball equipment to underprivileged children in the Dominican Republic, providing them the opportunity to chase their dreams and empowering them to achieve their full potential.”
“They love the game so much,” Hansen said. “There's so many times where I'd be down there and we'd be playing baseball with a sock that they tied with shoestring to make a ball. I'm trying to do whatever I can to give back to the community and to act in the way that Christ would, in any way possible. So that's something that I'm really excited about too right now.”
Hansen’s commitment to giving back doesn’t stop with his words — it’s embedded in his actions. Through Equip2Play DR, he’s bringing more than just equipment to children in the Dominican Republic; he’s providing them with the opportunity to dream, to hope, and to pursue their passion for baseball, just as he did. His desire to give back to the community that welcomed him during his mission continues to shape his journey. And while his career in professional baseball is still unfolding, his mission to uplift others remains a central part of who he is.
Ben Hansen’s journey is just beginning, but his story is already one of perseverance, faith, and giving back. As he trains for the next chapter of his baseball career, Hansen remains grounded in the lessons he learned — both on and off the field.
Whether it’s striking out batters or equipping young players in the Dominican Republic with the tools to chase their own dreams, Hansen is proving that success isn’t just about making it to the Major Leagues — it’s about making a difference along the way.