Alex Hernandez

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #21 prospect in 2001
  After three straight years in Double-A, Hernandez finally moved up to Triple-A last June. He started off 5-for-58 at Nashville but hit .326 the rest of the way and received a September callup. He seemed destined to become a Pirate after growing up playing baseball at Roberto Clemente Sports City in San Juan. Hernandez does many things well, though nothing spectacular. He hits for a decent average, has some power and speed, and is solid defensively. His strong arm makes him a good right fielder, and he shows good agility around the first-base bag when he plays there. The Pirates long have believed there's big-time power locked in Hernandez' lanky 6-foot-4 frame, but it has yet to emerge. Hernandez, like seemingly every hitter in the organization, has little understanding of the strike zone and his walk numbers get worse each year. The Pirates have waited a long time for him to blossom and will send him back to Triple-A this season for more seasoning. He's still young and can't be counted out, though he needs to start producing.
• 
  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #8 prospect in 1999
  Background: Hernandez is destined to play the outfield in Pittsburgh. After all, he grew up playing baseball at the Roberto Clemente Sports City in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Strengths: Like Davis, Hernandez has plenty of raw athletic ability. With his long and lanky frame, his power is still untapped. He has above-average speed and could develop into a leadoff hitter if his power doesn't blossom as expected. Hernandez is also regarded as the best defensive center fielder in the system; he has great range and an exceptional arm. Weaknesses: Hernandez hasn't figured out to how to harness his natural gifts yet. He swings at far too many bad pitches and also needs work as a baserunner at reading pitchers' moves. The Future: The Pirates may have rushed Hernandez a bit when they jumped him from short-season ball to high Class A in 1997. They plan to slow his progress this season, starting him off at Double-A again.