The Pittsburgh Pirates have faced no shortage of difficult roster decisions in recent years, and it appears another major one is on the horizon—this time involving electrifying right-handed prospect Seth Hernandez.
Selected as one of the top pitching talents in last year’s draft, Hernandez has wasted no time making a name for himself. At just 19 years old, he has absolutely dominated professional hitters in the early stages of his career, flashing the kind of stuff that gets scouts and fans alike buzzing.
But here’s where things get complicated: Hernandez has barely pitched at the highest minor league level, and his age is a major factor in the Pirates’ timeline. While some fans are already calling for a call-up, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently poured cold water on those hopes, reporting that it’s highly unlikely Hernandez will crack the big league roster—even next season.
Colin Beazley of the Post-Gazette broke it down: “From a purely competitive standpoint, Hernandez has looked too good for the FSL. That’s a great sign for the 19-year-old, who was selected out of Corona High School in California at No. 6 overall last year, but it’s also not the only goal. Hernandez’s primary goal for this season is both to stay healthy and to build off of the 53 ⅓ innings he threw at Corona last year.”
Beazley added a strong word of caution: “Most 19-year-olds drafted out of high school don’t dominate as early as Hernandez and Konnor Griffin did, but Hernandez, as a pitcher, must be treated differently than Griffin. He has too bright a future for the Pirates to rush him through the minors. He’s not going to be in the majors this season, and in my opinion, shouldn’t even be under consideration to start in the major league rotation next year, regardless of how good he is this year.”
Even at age 20 next season, it would be a surprise to see Hernandez in a Pirates uniform. That’s not because he lacks the talent—far from it—but because Pittsburgh’s rotation is already fairly settled. There simply isn’t an urgent need to rush a prospect with this much upside.
That doesn’t mean Hernandez couldn’t be a game-changing addition for this organization. It just means the Pirates are playing the long game—and for a pitcher this promising, patience might be the smartest play of all.