Jeremy Hermida Stats & Scouting Report

AB	2012
AVG	.257
OBP	.334
SLG	.415
HR	65

Full name Jeremy Ryan Hermida
Born 01/30/1984 in Atlanta, GA
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 220 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School Joseph Wheeler
Debut 08/31/2005
Drafted in the 1st round (11th overall) by the Miami Marlins in 2002 (signed for $2,012,500).

View Draft Report

Hermida was the biggest mover in the last few weeks leading up to the draft, coming out of nowhere to become a candidate for the second overall pick to the Devil Rays, and almost certainly one of the first 12 picks. He was on follow lists entering the season, so he wasn't a complete unknown like 2001 sensation Colt Griffin. Nevertheless, his ascent has been startling. Some scouts think he's the best high school hitter since Eric Chavez, and one scouting director gives Hermida a perfect 80 grade (on the 20-80 scale) for his bat. He has a smooth approach, makes consistent, hard contact and has good power potential--and as a bonus, he hits lefthanded. A natural recruit for Clemson, because his sister goes there and he played with coach Jack Leggett's son in the prestigious East Cobb program, Hermida almost certainly won't attend college at this point. He's not a one-dimensional player, either. He's a plus runner with a slightly above-average arm who projects as a pro right fielder. Hermida has put on 20 pounds in the last year while improving as much as anyone in the nation.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

As a high school standout in the Atlanta area, Hermida was ticketed for Clemson along with local rival Jeff Francoeur until the Marlins took him 11th overall in the 2002 draft. Hermida earned Baseball America's nod as the top pure hitter on the prep level and the fourth-best position player overall. Scouts compared him to Eric Chavez, Paul O'Neill and Andy Van Slyke, though Hermida himself preferred Shawn Green as a role model. He signed without acrimony for $2,012,500. His father groomed his hitting stroke from a young age, converting him from a righthanded batter to a lefty at age 4. Hermida was working with wood bats at age 13 and counted former big leaguer Terry Harper among his early private instructors. All those lessons paid further dividends in 2005, when he played in the Futures Game, was MVP of the Southern League all-star game and hit a grand slam off Cardinals righthander Al Reyes in his first big league plate appearance on Aug. 31. That made Hermida the first big leaguer to do that since "Frosty" Bill Duggleby in 1898. This is Hermida's third straight winter atop this list, a first in franchise history. After he totaled just 16 homers in his first three pro seasons, Hermida's power showed up in 2005. Working with Double-A Carolina hitting coach Steve Phillips and roving instructor John Mallee, Hermida was able to add more lift to his swing and started to pull inside pitches for power. His slight frame continued to fill out. His biggest selling point, though, is a tremendous ability to control the strike zone. As his power increased and his reputation spread, Southern League pitchers routinely avoided throwing him strikes. To his credit, Hermida refused to expand his zone and piled up the third-highest walk total in the minors. For the first time as a pro, he walked more than he struck out. He also runs well and has been caught stealing just 10 times in 77 career chances. His arm is average. Nagging injuries remain a concern, as he battled minor knee and hamstring problems in the middle of 2005. Earlier in his career he dealt with an ankle problem (2002), a heel injury (2003) and a pulled right hamstring (2004). A left wrist injury delayed his promotion to the majors in late August but he downplayed its role in some of his initial struggles with the Marlins. He continues to make defensive progress, but Hermida is still working to improve his jumps, routes, throwing accuracy and arm strength. Everything has gone according to plan so far. The next step is for Hermida to take over for free agent Juan Encarnacion as the starting right fielder on Opening Day 2006. If given 500 at-bats as expected, he should challenge to become the Marlins' second National League rookie of the year in four seasons.
As a high school senior, Hermida went from a decent prospect seemingly destined for Clemson to a possible top-three selection. Baseball America rated him the top pure hitter on the prep level and the fourth-best position player overall in the 2002 draft, and the Marlins were pleased when he was still available for them with the No. 11 pick. The Marlins chose him over high school lefthander Scott Kazmir, then gave Hermida a $2.0125 million signing bonus. His father groomed his hitting ability, converting him from a righthanded hitter to a lefty at age 4, having him practice with wood bats starting when he was 13 and hiring former big leaguer Terry Harper as a private instructor. Though Hermida missed nearly five weeks early in 2004 with a pulled right hamstring, he still managed to set career highs in batting average, slugging percentage and homers. He ranks as the organization's top prospect for the second straight year, the first Marlin to accomplish that feat since Josh Beckett (2001-02). Hermida has a polished hitting approach. He has a smooth, quick stroke, advanced plate discipline for his age, a strong work ethic and good makeup. He's comfortable working deep in counts and projects to have power to all fields. For now, he's mainly content to line singles and doubles to the opposite field. Hermida has drawn comparisons to a slew of all-stars. Some scouts called him the best high school hitter since Eric Chavez, others likened him to Paul O'Neill and Andy Van Slyke, and Hermida saw himself more along the lines of Shawn Green. The Marlins would be happy if he resembles any of those hitters and believe he will. He has slightly above-average speed and even better instincts on the bases. He has 38 steals in 43 tries over the last two seasons and projects to swipe 20 bases a year in the majors. He has average arm strength. He has come a long way defensively, but Hermida still needs to improve his jumps, routes and the accuracy of his throws in right field. It would help if he showed as much interest in his defense as his hitting. He projects as at least a 25-homer threat in the big leagues, but he has adjustments to make first. He'll have to add lift to his swing, learn to pull inside pitches for power and add bulk on his frame. He showed developing power in the Arizona Fall League, hitting seven home runs. Durability is a minor concern, as injuries have bothered Hermida in each of his first three seasons. He dealt with an ankle problem in 2002 and a heel injury in 2003. After his solid showing in the AFL, where he was one of the youngest players, Hermida should start 2005 at Double-A Carolina. If he shows he can handle that level, he could reach the majors by the end of the year. The Marlins have Juan Encarnacion under contract at $4.4 million through 2005, but they hope Hermida will be ready to take over as their everyday right fielder in 2006.
Former Marlins scouting director Jim Fleming (now the team's assistant general manager) could hardly believe his good fortune when Hermida was still available with the 11th pick in the 2002 draft. Rated the best pure high school hitter and the fourth-best position player overall, Hermida was projected as high as the second pick. The Marlins chose him over prep lefty Scott Kazmir (who ranks as the Mets' top prospect), then gave Hermida a $2,012,500 bonus. A natural righthanded hitter, Hermida was converted to the left side at age 4 by his father. He began practicing with a wood bat at 13 and received tutelage from former Braves outfielder Terry Harper. He later starred in Georgia's famed East Cobb youth program. A slow start at low Class A Greensboro in 2003 was attributed in part to poor weather that limited his extra work. Still, he finished the season as the No. 5 prospect in the South Atlantic League and led the league in walks. Some scouts called Hermida the best high school hitter since Eric Chavez. Others saw a young Andy Van Slyke or Paul O'Neill. Hermida himself identified more with Shawn Green. Whichever comparison you prefer, there's no denying his polished hitting approach and advanced maturity. He has a smooth, quick stroke, top-notch plate discipline, a strong work ethic and first-rate makeup. He's comfortable working deep in counts and has no trouble taking pitches on the outer half to the gap in left-center. Hermida is durable, as he played through a minor ankle problem in 2002 and a minor heel injury in 2003. Though just an average runner, he has excellent instincts on the bases. He was thrown out just twice in 30 steal attempts last season, both on the back end of double steals. His arm is much improved to where it's now average. Though he has come a long way defensively, Hermida is far better coming in on balls than going back at this point. He needs to improve his upper-body strength to keep from wearing down over the course of the season. He hasn't shown much power so far but the Marlins believe that will increase as he adds lift to his swing and bulk to his tall, lean, broad-shouldered frame. Some see him as a 25-plus homer man in the majors because of his above-average bat speed. He still has trouble at times with pitches on his hands. Hermida should start 2004 at high Class A Jupiter, but a midyear promotion to Double-A Carolina isn't out of the question. He could arrive in the majors by the end of 2005 if he continues on this career path.
The Marlins were ecstatic when Hermida was available 11th overall last June. Rated the best pure high school hitter available, he signed for $2.0125 million. A natural righthanded hitter, Hermida was converted into a lefty at age 4 by his father. Hermida has practiced with a wood bat since he was 13 and counts former big leaguer Terry Harper among his tutors. Some scouts called Hermida the best high school hitter since Eric Chavez. Others compared his body type to a young Andy Van Slyke. Marlins assistant general manager Jim Fleming sees a young Paul O'Neill, while Hermida identifies more with Shawn Green. He has a smooth, quick stroke and excellent instincts. His speed and right field arm are average. He loves to play and has a great disposition. Hermida jumps at pitches from time to time. He must grow into his power, though the Marlins fully expect that to come. After a standout debut at short-season Jamestown, Hermida figures to begin 2003 at Florida's new low Class A Greensboro affiliate. His success will dictate how quickly he moves.

Minor League Top Prospects

The most disciplined hitter in the league--he led the league in walks and on-base percentage--Hermida drew so many free passes that he registered just 386 at-bats, which curtailed his power numbers. After hitting eight home runs in April, he hit just 10 more the rest of the way. But with his silky-smooth lefthanded swing and his raw power, he'll be a middle-of-the-order threat in the majors. "He's got 18 home runs, and if he's got a cheap one, it's just one," Carolina manager Gary Allenson said. "He hit a ball off the scoreboard in Montgomery in left-center field that was still going up when it hit the scoreboard. I'd actually like to see him be a bit more aggressive at the plate, but part of that is the pitchers pitching around him too." Hermida jammed his left wrist sliding and tailed off in August, but he recovered in time to contribute to the Marlins' playoff chase. He became just the second big leaguer to hit a grand slam in his first at-bat and should become a full-time regular in spring training. He's a solid defender with an above-average arm in right field.
With Hermida, the swing's the thing. A strained hamstring forced him to miss a month of action early in the season, and it limited his running for a while when he returned. But it couldn't detract from his batting stroke, one of the prettiest in the minors. Hermida hit .300 for most of the season, and there's little reason to think he won't continue to compete for batting titles as he moves up. There are bigger questions about his power production, as he currently is much more likely to slap singles and doubles to the opposite field than pull a pitch over the fence. His body and his bat speed suggest that he should develop power as he matures. A right fielder, Hermida has solid average range and enough arm to handle the position.
The fifth straight 2002 high school first-rounder on this list, Hermida showed the pure hitting skills that made him one of the most coveted bats available last June. Hermida led the league in walks. "He hasn't swung at too many balls out of the zone," Greensboro manager Steve Phillips said. "He's one of the most patient hitters in the league, and he's got a clean enough swing to hit for power and average." Hermida is expected to develop more power because of his classic lefthanded swing and above-average bat speed. He's content with hitting the ball to the opposite field but should develop pull power. He wore down, so he's expected to add muscle to his lean, athletic frame during this offseason. Hermida's 28 steals in 30 attemts were a pleasant surprise.