Perrotto: Pirates Obviously Made Right Pick With Seth Hernandez
The Pittsburgh Pirates need hitting and lots of it. I’m not breaking any scoops there.
They are last in the major leagues in runs scored. The Pirates are also at the bottom of MLB in home runs and ahead of only the Chicago White Sox in OPS heading into the All-Star break.
High-A Greensboro shortstop/center fielder Konnor Griffin is ranked as the second-best prospect in the game by Baseball America. However, he is the Pirates’ lone premium hitting prospect.
So, what did the Pirates do in the first round of MLB’s amateur draft on Sunday night? They chose a pitcher with the sixth overall selection. Of course.
It might seem like pitching overkill considering the Pirates have the 10th-best ERA in baseball at 3.77 ERA, belying their 39-58 record.
The Pirates have Bubba Chandler at Triple-A Indianapolis, and he is ranked as baseball’s No. 5 prospect by MLB Pipeline and No. 10 by Baseball America. Another top prospect, left-hander Hunter Barco, is also in Indianapolis’ rotation.
Yet, regardless of the organization’s lack of offense, the Pirates made the right decision by taking Seth Hernandez.
The 6-foot-4, 200-pound right-hander from Corona (Calif.) High School was considered the top scholastic pitcher in this year’s draft. Baseball America ranked him as the second-best overall player.
I had one veteran scout tell me in the days leading up to the draft that Hernandez was the best right-handed high school pitcher that he had ever watched. High praise, but Hernandez said he was able to block out that kind of talk.
“Obviously, it’s a blessing to be able to be considered like that,” Hernandez said. “Obviously, with the greats, especially with recent guys like Jackson Jobe, Hunter Greene, or even guys like Paul Skenes and Chase Burnes. I know those guys came out of college, but even out of high school, being able to be considered better than those guys, or even just up to par with them, is awesome. Obviously, it just goes into all the hard work and great support I’ve had around me.”
Hernandez lived up to the hype this spring when he was named the national high school Player of the Year by Gatorade. He had a 0.39 ERA in 11 starts while also striking out 105 batters in 53.1 innings and finished his two-year career with an 18-1 record after being homeschooled until his junior year.
Baseball America ranked the 19-year-old Hernandez’s changeup as the best in the draft among high schoolers and his fastball as the fourth best.
“We are very excited to get the chance to work with Seth,” Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said. “His athleticism, velocity, ability to shape pitches, and competitiveness are standout traits for a starting pitcher. He will be fun to watch develop.”
Hernandez said he was hoping to be drafted by the Pirates, citing good meetings with them at the MLB Scouting Combine last month in Phoenix and at his home in the days leading up to the draft. He is undeterred from joining a franchise on its way to a 29th losing season in the last 33 years.
“Obviously, the Pirates are a great organization,” Hernandez said. “Obviously, it was kind of a dream to be there, to be able to pick the brains of guys like (Jared) Jones and (Paul) Skenes. I kind of always wanted to be there. Obviously, with the Pirates, a great organization, so being able to be picked by them was super surreal. But also, being able to share the field with those guys is super cool, so being able to come here was a dream come true.”
Hopefully, Hernandez’s dream doesn’t turn into a nightmare like it has for so many Pirates’ draftees in the last 30-plus years.
Regardless, an organization can never have enough high-end pitching. Hernandez fits the description.