Scouting Report

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Scouting grades: Fastball: 70 | Curveball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 55 | Overall: 60

On the radar for quite some time, Hernandez started making it clear as a junior, when he won National High School Invitational MVP honors after tossing a complete-game shutout to help his Corona High School team win the tournament, that he'd be the top high school arm in the Class of 2025. He cemented it by showing elite stuff at summer showcase events like USA Baseball's 18U National Training Camp and the Area Code Games, then positioned himself as the best overall arm in the class with a strong spring that included another masterpiece at the NHSI.

Hernandez has an ideal projectable 6-foot-4 pitcher's frame with the athleticism teams love to see from young power arms. Always on time with an online and loose delivery, Hernandez has big stuff and a feel for all four of his pitches. While he touched triple digits at the Area Code Games, he typically sits in the mid-90s, touching 97-98 mph. His best secondary offering is his changeup, and it’s plus right now, thrown with a lot of confidence and missing bats with it thanks to its good action and how it plays off of his fastball plane well. His curve, a true 12-to-6 spike curveball, has the chance to be plus with hard, tight and late action to it, sometimes registering RPMs in the 3,000 range. He started featuring a harder slider more on the showcase circuit.

In addition to his pure stuff, Hernandez does a solid job finding the zone, especially considering his age and power stuff. Committed to Vanderbilt, he gets very high marks for his work ethic, showing the ability to make adjustments and corrections to put himself in position to be one of the first pitchers taken in the 2025 Draft. 

Video scouting report »

Scouting grades: Fastball: 70 | Curveball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 55 | Overall: 55

Hernandez jumped on the radar as a potential 2025 early first-rounder as an underclassman at Corona High School in California, particularly at the 2024 National High School Invitational, where he won MVP honors after tossing a shutout en route to a tournament win. He continued to establish himself as the best prep arm in the class on the summer showcase circuit and made a case to perhaps be the first high school right-hander to ever be taken No. 1 overall. He was the first prep pitcher taken, No. 6 overall by the Pirates, who signed him for $7.25 million. 

Hernandez brings an exciting combination of now stuff, projection, athleticism and feel for pitching to the Pirates organization. He has a legitimate four-pitch mix, with his fastball typically sitting in the mid-90s, often touching 97-98 mph and even registering triple-digit offerings at the Area Code Games. His changeup is at least plus, a cambio he has full confidence in, eliciting swings-and-misses because of its action and his ability to sell it, playing it off his fastball plane well. He has two legitimate high-spin breakers, a hard slider that's newer to his repertoire and a 12-to-6 curve with tight and late action to it that can register 3,000-rpm spin rates.

An athletic 6-foot-4, Hernandez is able to repeat his on-line and loose delivery and command the ball, both impressive for a young power pitcher. He adjusts well and works very hard at his craft, with perhaps another level to be reached now that he'll no longer be hitting. That inspires confidence that he can reach his frontline starter ceiling.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 70 | Curveball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 55 | Overall: 55

On the radar for quite some time, Hernandez started making it clear as a junior that he'd be the top high school arm in the Class of 2025 after he won National High School Invitational MVP honors, tossing a shutout to help his Corona High School team win the tournament. He cemented it by showing elite stuff at summer showcase events like USA Baseball's 18U National Training Camp and the Area Code Games, then positioned himself as the best overall arm in the class with a strong spring that included another masterpiece at the NHSI. While his name was mentioned as a potential No. 1 pick, he ended up at No. 6, where the Pirates selected him and signed him for $7.25 million.

Hernandez has an ideal projectable 6-foot-4 pitcher's frame with the athleticism teams love to see from young power arms. Always on time with an on-line and loose delivery, Hernandez has big stuff and a feel for all four of his pitches. While he touched triple digits at the Area Code Games, he typically sits in the mid 90s, touching 97-98 mph. His best secondary offering is his changeup, and it's plus right now, thrown with a lot of confidence as it misses bats thanks to its good action and how it plays off his fastball plane well. His curve -- a true 12-to-6 spike curveball -- has the chance to be plus with hard, tight and late action to it, sometimes registering RPMs in the 3,000 range. He started featuring a harder slider more on the showcase circuit.

In addition to his pure stuff, Hernandez does a solid job finding the zone, especially considering his age and power stuff. He gets very high marks for his work ethic, showing the ability to make adjustments and corrections, giving him frontline starter upside.

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	08/04/2025	FCL Pirates activated RHP Seth Hernandez.
	07/22/2025	RHP Seth Hernandez assigned to FCL Pirates.
	07/22/2025	Pittsburgh Pirates signed RHP Seth Hernandez.
	05/23/2025	College Workout activated RHP Seth Hernandez.
	09/10/2024	RHP Seth Hernandez assigned to High School Workout.
	08/16/2024	RHP Seth Hernandez assigned to High School Workout.
	06/30/2024	High School Workout activated RHP Seth Hernandez.
	01/30/2024	RHP Seth Hernandez assigned to High School Workout.
	09/13/2023	RHP Seth Hernandez assigned to High School Workout.
	08/16/2023	RHP Seth Hernandez assigned to High School Workout.