Derek Bernard

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Colorado Rockies #28 prospect in 2026
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Adjusted Grade: 30
  
  Track Record: Bernard grew up playing in New York City before he signed out of the Dominican for $185,000 in the Rockies’ 2022 international class. He debuted that year in the Dominican Summer League and returned in 2023 due to tax implications tied to his split signing bonus. Bernard moved stateside in 2024 with a strong showing in the Arizona Complex League, then advanced to Low-A Fresno in 2025, where he slashed .302/.385/.448 with six home runs.
  
  Scouting Report: Bernard has hit for high averages at every stop and already flashes promising impact potential as well, with plus raw power and above-average in-game exit velocities in 2025 at just 19 years old. There’s a chance he accesses even more power as his frame matures. But his biggest obstacle is his aggressive approach. Bernard missed on pitches roughly a third of the time in 2025 and frequently expanded the strike zone, leading to a 24.1% strikeout rate in Low-A. Bernard is particularly vulnerable against both premium velocity and quality breaking balls. Bernard has also faced defensive concerns early in his career and settled into a corner outfield profile. While he has an average arm, he’s a fringe-average runner and is unlikely to provide a lot of defensive value.
  
  The Future: Bernard has notable power upside, but he’ll need to tighten his approach as he climbs the ladder. He’s expected to open 2026 at High-A Spokane.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 40 | Power: 55 | Run: 45 | Field: 40 | Arm: 50
• 
  Ranked Colorado Rockies #29 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 45/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Bernard grew up in New York City and played travel ball for Canes New York 15U. He signed for $185,000, which was the seventh-highest bonus in the Rockies’ 2022 international signing class. Bernard debuted in 2022 in the Dominican Summer League, where he hit .308/.377/.439 with four home runs as a 16-year-old. Bernard repeated the DSL in 2023 due to the tax ramifications of his split bonus. He made the most of it, hitting .324/.421/.576 with seven home runs.
  
  Scouting Report: Bernard is an aggressive power hitter who looks to do damage. His bat-to-ball skills and approach are fringy, which adds risk that the strikeouts skyrocket when he comes back stateside. Bernard’s power is his carrying tool, and he makes lots of hard contact. Bernard’s 90th percentile exit velocity of 106.3 mph in 2023 was well above the major league average, and he did so while playing a majority of the season as a 17-year-old. Bernard is likely to slow down to a below-average runner and could end up in left field.
  
  The Future: Bernard is a young power hitter without a position and a lot of hit tool risk, but his raw juice is double-plus.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 40 | Power: 60 | Run: 40 | Field: 40 | Arm: 50