The 2019-20 international signing period may turn out to have been a very productive one for the Rockies. Top prospect Adael Amador topped the class with his $1.5 million bonus while Fernandez joined the organization for $295,000 and both reached the upper levels in 2023. After a strong finish in his 2022 full-season debut that saw him finish with an OPS of .847 with 109 RBIs, the Cuban outfielder posted a .959 OPS with High-A Spokane to earn a bump up to Double-A Hartford, where the league adjusted to him much faster than he adjusted to the pitching in the league.
There are still plenty of reasons to be bullish about Fernandez, starting with his easily plus raw power from the left side of the plate. Even with his struggles in Double-A, the Futures Gamer hit 25 homers in 2023, and he has the ability to drive the ball to all fields with ease. The jump in his strikeout rate to nearly 33 percent with Hartford is a cause for concern, as his miss and chase rates -- especially against breaking stuff -- skyrocketed. He’s always going to be a very aggressive hitter, but there’s confidence the 21-year-old will make adjustments because he did just that when initially fed a steady diet of soft stuff during his full-season debut in 2022.
A below-average runner, Fernandez has a plus arm that fits the right field profile well, though he’ll be an average defender at best. His run-production potential fits that profile, too, if he can refine his approach again and make better swing decisions while recognizing spin. If all goes his way, he has the chance to be a true middle-of-the-order threat in Colorado.
Fernandez signed with the Rockies for $295,000 out of Cuba in July 2019 and made a very strong first impression in the Dominican Summer League in 2021 with a .937 OPS over 54 games. He started out a little slowly in his full-season debut a year later, but he figured things out and was one of the best hitters in the California League in the second half of the year, finishing as the league leader in RBIs (109), tied for third in homers (21) and fifth in slugging percentage (.507).
In the early stages of his 2022 season, Fernandez was getting a steady diet of breaking stuff and scuffled as a result, with just a .741 OPS over the season’s first two months as he was swinging at everything. The left-handed hitter then started to adjust and things began to click, with Fernandez posting an OPS over .900 from June 1 on, a stretch of 80 games that included 18 homers and 89 RBIs. He has dangerous raw power he’s just learning to tap into and can leave the yard to all fields, showing he’s the kind of hitter who loves RBI situations.
Fernandez fits the corner outfield profile very well, both because of his run-production potential and an easily plus arm that looks good in right field. He’s gotten some Yordan Alvarez comps, and if the adjustments he showed in his approach last year are for real, he could come close to living up to them.
The 2019-20 international signing class could very well be a successful one for the Rockies. It started with Adael Amador getting $1.5 million, and he’s one of the Rockies' better prospects. Catching up in a hurry might be Fernandez, who signed out of Cuba that summer for $295,000. Finally getting to play in 2021, the outfielder made the Dominican Summer League look easy, finishing in the top 10 in a host of offensive categories, from average and RBIs to slugging percentage and OPS.
Fernandez has the chance to hit for both average and power from the left side of the plate. Both in the DSL and at instructs last fall, Fernandez showed a knack for barreling up the baseball with hard contact. It’s a small sample, but he’s shown he can turn around premium velocity with plus bat speed while displaying strong strike zone knowledge. He’ll take a walk, work counts and doesn’t strike out much, all while having raw power to all fields.
Strong and physical, Fernandez will hit his way up the ladder. He has a strong arm, but he will be limited to an outfield corner, playing right field almost exclusively during his debut. He reminds some of the Astros’ Yordan Alvarez in terms of his offensive profile as he makes his United States debut this season at age 19.
