Carlos Hernandez

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Kansas City Royals #15 prospect in 2021
  TRACK RECORD: Signed for $15,000 as a 19-year-old, Hernandez was already an older international signee and fell behind in his development due to a rib injury in 2019 that prevented him from advancing beyond low Class A. That inexperience didn't stop the Royals from jumping the native Venezuelan straight to the big leagues for five games in 2020, when he posted a 4.91 ERA in 13.2 innings.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: It's all about the fastball for Hernandez. His four-seamer averaged 96 mph and touched triple digits during his time in Kansas City. Hernandez has an easy delivery and the ball comes out of his hand with natural angle, helping it play up despite a lack of significant movement. Hernandez's primary offspeed pitch is a mid-80s hard curveball with 12-to-6 movement that flashes plus. He also throws a hard, split-changeup at 85-90 mph and a below-average slider. Hernandez's control is fringe-average, but he throws enough strikes for a bullpen role.
  
  THE FUTURE: Hernandez needs more seasoning in the minors and will likely head to Double-A in 2021. He'll continue to develop as a starter, but he is most likely to end up in the bullpen.
• 
  Ranked Kansas City Royals #14 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: Coming off a promising 2018 season at low Class A Lexington, Hernandez was ready to move up to the next level before breaking a rib during spring training. The hefty Venezuelan didn't get back on the mound for an official game until mid-June but finished with seven strong starts back at Lexington.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Hernandez's fastball sits 93-97 mph and regularly touches the high 90s, with at least one report of him up to 101 during instructs. He has an easy delivery that helps the ball explode out of his hand. The pitch is fairly true but benefits from solid downhill angle. All of Hernandez's secondary pitches—slider, curveball, changeup—are below-average now, although his 80-83 mph curveball flashes plus. He needs to improve the command and the quality of those pitches to keep hitters off-balance.
  
  THE FUTURE: Hernandez will get a second chance to make the high Class A Wilmington squad. If the command and secondaries come together with experience, Hernandez could be a force either in the rotation or in the back end of the bullpen. The latter role is more likely. The Royals added Hernandez to the 40-man roster after the season to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.
• 
  Ranked Kansas City Royals #18 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: Hernandez is the classic late bloomer, not signing with the Royals until he was 19 for $15,000 in 2016. His first full season with low Class A Lexington was interrupted twice, once early in the season when he returned home to Venezuela for a family emergency and then again when he was shut down for the last month of the season due to minor soreness.
  
  Scouting Report: Hernandez overpowers hitters with a 93-95 mph fastball that touches 97 mph with late life. His 80-82 mph, power curveball has the potential to be a plus pitch, and he's effective at selling his 80-84 mph, split-grip changeup, especially to lefthanded hitters. Hernandez throws all three pitches for strikes, and both secondary offerings have the potential to be plus pitches. There's still room for improvement with his delivery, as he gets late with his arm and misses up in the strike zone.
  
  The Future: Hernandez needs to smooth out his delivery and further refine his impressive arsenal. Some scouts view him as a future reliever with the potential to be a power arm in the back of a bullpen. He will battle to fit in a stacked starting rotation at high Class A Wilmington.
• 
  Ranked Kansas City Royals #17 prospect in 2018
  Most organizations have at least one pop-up prospect every year, that guy who no one knows about--at least not yet. Hernandez may be that player in the Royals organization. Signed for $15,000 in 2016 when he was already 19 years old, Hernandez made his pro debut in the Rookie-level Appalachian League. Hernandez's numbers weren't anything special--a 5.49 ERA, albeit with a strikeout per inning--but Hernandez has as much upside as any pitcher in the system. Already flashing a plus fastball at 94-97 mph with late glove-side life and late cut showing heavy depth, Hernandez's large, meaty frame and whippy arm strength suggest that 100 mph velo is not far away. He has feel for a fringe-average 79-80 mph curveball with 11-5 two-plane depth, but his best secondary pitch is an average changeup from 84-87 that could develop into a plus offering. Improving his changeup was a priority during instructional league, and he made good progress with the pitch. Hernandez has the upside of a mid- to top-of-the rotation starter, and at 21 will likely get his first crack at full-season ball in 2018.

• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Signed for $15,000 as a 19-year-old, Hernandez was already an older international signee and fell behind in his development due to a rib injury in 2019 that prevented him from advancing beyond low Class A. That inexperience didn't stop the Royals from jumping the native Venezuelan straight to the big leagues for five games in 2020, when he posted a 4.91 ERA in 13.2 innings.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: It's all about the fastball for Hernandez. His four-seamer averaged 96 mph and touched triple digits during his time in Kansas City. Hernandez has an easy delivery and the ball comes out of his hand with natural angle, helping it play up despite a lack of significant movement. Hernandez's primary offspeed pitch is a mid-80s hard curveball with 12-to-6 movement that flashes plus. He also throws a hard, split-changeup at 85-90 mph and a below-average slider. Hernandez's control is fringe-average, but he throws enough strikes for a bullpen role.
  
  THE FUTURE: Hernandez needs more seasoning in the minors and will likely head to Double-A in 2021. He'll continue to develop as a starter, but he is most likely to end up in the bullpen.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Signed for $15,000 as a 19-year-old, Hernandez was already an older international signee and fell behind in his development due to a rib injury in 2019 that prevented him from advancing beyond low Class A. That inexperience didn't stop the Royals from jumping the native Venezuelan straight to the big leagues for five games in 2020, when he posted a 4.91 ERA in 13.2 innings.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: It's all about the fastball for Hernandez. His four-seamer averaged 96 mph and touched triple digits during his time in Kansas City. Hernandez has an easy delivery and the ball comes out of his hand with natural angle, helping it play up despite a lack of significant movement. Hernandez's primary offspeed pitch is a mid-80s hard curveball with 12-to-6 movement that flashes plus. He also throws a hard, split-changeup at 85-90 mph and a below-average slider. Hernandez's control is fringe-average, but he throws enough strikes for a bullpen role.
  
  THE FUTURE: Hernandez needs more seasoning in the minors and will likely head to Double-A in 2021. He'll continue to develop as a starter, but he is most likely to end up in the bullpen.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Signed for $15,000 as a 19-year-old, Hernandez was already an older international signee and fell behind in his development due to a rib injury in 2019 that prevented him from advancing beyond low Class A. That inexperience didn't stop the Royals from jumping the native Venezuelan straight to the big leagues for five games in 2020, when he posted a 4.91 ERA in 13.2 innings.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: It's all about the fastball for Hernandez. His four-seamer averaged 96 mph and touched triple digits during his time in Kansas City. Hernandez has an easy delivery and the ball comes out of his hand with natural angle, helping it play up despite a lack of significant movement. Hernandez's primary offspeed pitch is a mid-80s hard curveball with 12-to-6 movement that flashes plus. He also throws a hard, split-changeup at 85-90 mph and a below-average slider. Hernandez's control is fringe-average, but he throws enough strikes for a bullpen role.
  
  THE FUTURE: Hernandez needs more seasoning in the minors and will likely head to Double-A in 2021. He'll continue to develop as a starter, but he is most likely to end up in the bullpen.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Coming off a promising 2018 season at low Class A Lexington, Hernandez was ready to move up to the next level before breaking a rib during spring training. The hefty Venezuelan didn’t get back on the mound for an official game until mid-June but finished with seven strong starts back at Lexington.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Hernandez’s fastball sits 93-97 mph and regularly touches the high 90s, with at least one report of him up to 101 during instructs. He has an easy delivery that helps the ball explode out of his hand. The pitch is fairly true but benefits from solid downhill angle. All of Hernandez’s secondary pitches—slider, curveball, changeup—are below-average now, although his 80-83 mph curveball flashes plus. He needs to improve the command and the quality of those pitches to keep hitters off-balance.
  
  THE FUTURE: Hernandez will get a second chance to make the high Class A Wilmington squad. If the command and secondaries come together with experience, Hernandez could be a force either in the rotation or in the back end of the bullpen. The latter role is more likely. The Royals added Hernandez to the 40-man roster after the season to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. BA GRADE 45 Risk: High BA GRADE 45 Risk: High
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Coming off a promising 2018 season at low Class A Lexington, Hernandez was ready to move up to the next level before breaking a rib during spring training. The hefty Venezuelan didn't get back on the mound for an official game until mid-June but finished with seven strong starts back at Lexington.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Hernandez's fastball sits 93-97 mph and regularly touches the high 90s, with at least one report of him up to 101 during instructs. He has an easy delivery that helps the ball explode out of his hand. The pitch is fairly true but benefits from solid downhill angle. All of Hernandez's secondary pitches—slider, curveball, changeup—are below-average now, although his 80-83 mph curveball flashes plus. He needs to improve the command and the quality of those pitches to keep hitters off-balance.
  
  THE FUTURE: Hernandez will get a second chance to make the high Class A Wilmington squad. If the command and secondaries come together with experience, Hernandez could be a force either in the rotation or in the back end of the bullpen. The latter role is more likely. The Royals added Hernandez to the 40-man roster after the season to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.