Jake
Hernandez

Solid frame at 6-foot-0 210 pounds, running a personal best 7.46 60. Offensively- Plenty of "present power" as he showed the ability to drive the ball to left center and straightaway center during BP. Slightly open setup; barrel flattens before a late lift and bottom hand load (creating slight barrel tip towards the mound). Aggressive lower half with some slight lift in his swing that he can get away with due to bat speed; elevated two-handed finish. Exit velocity was 95 MPH (previous best was 98 MPH in July). Middle of the lineup bopper at the next level. Defensively- Active feet; upright approach, works through the ball. Adequate release with arm strength at 76 MPH. More in the tank here as we've seen the 80MPH+ mark from him off the mound. More aggressive shuffle step/footwork into his throws will help carry that momentum through the ball.

Hernandez stands in at 6-foot-0, 210-pounds with a thick, strong, athletic frame. Offensively- Righty sets up slightly open with his feet wide outside his shoulders. Shows a slight knee bend with an upright torso holding the bat in front of the back shoulder using little pre-pitch bat movement. On pitch, his trigger is a knee raise into a step forward squaring up with the pitcher while his hands move back slightly into his hitting position. Quick hands to the hitting zone with an upward lift barrel path throughout into a high one-handed finish. Utilizes good lower body rotation getting whole frame involved in swing Demonstrated good plate coverage with good gap to gap power to all fields making solid contact during batting practice rounds. Recorded an exit velocity of 98 MPH, a 5 MPH improvement from his previous best recorded mark of 93 MPH set in September 2016. Defensively- Good approach and footwork to the baseball. Good fielding mechanics funneling the ball into the chest with a quick transition to the throwing position. Has aggressive footwork towards the intended throwing target. Moves well left/right and in on the run. Recorded a positional arm velocity of 73 MPH, a 4 MPH improvement from September 2016. Pitching- Sets up in the middle of the rubber with a simple side step into a high leg raise about the hip crease. Breaks down well with good separation and loose arm action. Has a high ¾ release point with smooth, fluid mechanics. Utilizes whole body frame in pitching mechanics with a strong follow through. Fastball range was 75-77 MPH and peaked at 78 MPH with arm side run. Curveball range was 62-65 MPH with 12/6 action. Change-up was 66-67 MPH with arm side sink. 

Hernandez is a sturdy 5-foot-11 205 3B/RHP who ran a slightly improved 7.75 60. Offensively- Starts even with weight pre-loaded; slight load of the hands with a forward toe-tap stride. Gets to the ball with a level swing plane with some occasional lift; above average bat speed at 93 MPH. Gap to gap results with extra base potential; middle third of the order projection. Defensively- Upright approach with some choppy footwork to the ball; hands out in front as glove side foot hangs back. Over the top release with his arm strength at 69 MPH. Adjustments with transfer and shuffle step will bring more momentum to his release. Pitching- Sets up middle of the rubber with a short drop step and a mid chest balance point. Rides back leg into landing with a high 3/4 arm slot. Throws a heavy FB, sitting 73-75 MPH, CB showed some early action at 67 MPH. When tight with finish, action was sharper and later and he got some chases. Showed a change up at 65 MPH. Projects better as a position player at this point but with added velocity could contribute off the mound.

Standing 5-foot-11, 195-pounds this is our second time seeing Hernandez since Nov 2015. He ran a 7.78 60. Offensively- Starts with his hands relaxed, weight shifted back. Bat gets flat as he loads, longer stride on the pitch. Mostly level through contact, short extension, strong hands with exit-velocity up to 89 mph. Defensively - looks like a potential corner guy at the next-level, some choppy footwork, ball gets a touch to deep on him, quick transfer to a shorter arm-action throw. Shows multi-arm actions with accuracy. Pitching - Simple delivery, belt high knee lift, hands separate over the rubber as he drives forward. Throws from an over-the-top slot from the mound, fastball displays some downward sink sitting 74-76, touching 77 mph. Curve ball ranged 68-70 with some late slider-type break. Changeup shows feel and sink at 67.  

Last Chance Preview  (November 29, 2015)

Jake is a broad shouldered 5-foot-11, 195 pound SS/RHP with good athletic actions. Ran a 5.0 Home to 1B with an 81 MPH exit velocity. Offensively- Jake hits from a spread stance with a controlled take back of his hands and slight stride forward. Aggressive back foot and hip rotation with a consistent short lead arm into contact. Top hand stays level through the zone and into his extension. Stays over backside through end of swing, additional weight transfer will only help him continue to drive through contact. 81 MPH exit velocity. Future run producer. Defensively- Jake is active with his footwork and moves through the ball well. Hands are soft when they get in front, breaking his momentum down some into the ball will help for a consistent fielding position. Arm strength was at 73 MPH. Projects more towards 3B over the long term. Good looking player on both sides of the ball. Pitching- Jake uses a controlled drop working up to a compact balance point. Stays under control with his landing and gets up and over front side using a high 3/4 arm slot that works off a shorter infield like arm action early on in the delivery. FB in the upper 70's with some sink and run. Overall command, including off-speed could be better. Gets under CB creating some back up action. Change up maintains proper arm speed and holds it's plane. With some polish on the mound Jake should be a possible dual prospect as he approaches his senior year.